fresh strawberry cream pie
I’m very happy that we didn’t miss the pick-your-own strawberry season this year and I’m equally as happy that I actually had time to make something with them. The kids were sold on the idea of a strawberry pie while we were still picking the berries, but I realized that I had never made one. I ended up improvising this recipe right down to the pie pan – my glass pie pan broke months ago so I was forced to use a springform pan. The fresh, whole, uncooked strawberries are bound together inside a graham cracker crust with a mixture of sugar, gelatin and strawberry puree. The strawberries looked a little rough after I filled the pie so I covered them with a layer of stabilized whipped cream. If you try this recipe, only use the best berries you can find because the flavor depends entirely on that.
Strawberry and Whipped Cream Pie (makes one 10-inch pie)
Crust:
1-1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
6 Tablespoons melted butter
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Mix everything together by hand, and press firmly into a 10-inch springform pan. The crust should also go up the sides of the pan about three inches. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, until it has firmed up a bit. Let it cool while you prepare the filling.
Filling:
5 cups strawberries, washed and stems removed.
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon gelatin powder, soaked in 1/4 cup cold water
Roughly chop one cup of the strawberries and place in a small saucepan with the sugar. Cook until reduced to a puree. Remove from the heat, then stir in the soaked gelatin. Mix with the remaining strawberries, then immediately pour into the cooled crust. Spread the out so the top is level, then prepare the whipped cream topping.
Topping:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon gelatin powder
2 tablespoons milk
Whip the cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Soak the gelatin in the milk for two minutes, then heat gently until dissolved. Gradually fold the whipped cream into the gelatin, then spread on top of the strawberries. Chill for several hours before removing from the pan and slicing.
