Ode to Dad Fresh Strawberry Pie
By Angie Battle
- Makes one 9-inch-deep dish pie
Crust:
- 10 oz. store-bought shortbread cookies
- 7 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ c. granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Filling:
- 2 lbs. fresh strawberries, washed, hulled & quartered and dried thoroughly (you can reserve 7-10 whole berries for the top, if desired)
- 1 c. pureed strawberries (will take about a half pound, give or take—so, buy three pounds total)
- ½ c. water
- 2/3 c. granulated sugar
- 3 TBSP cornstarch
- 1 3-oz box of strawberry Jell-O
- Squeeze of fresh lemon (about 2 tsp.)
Optional:
- 2-3 oz. white chocolate, melted
- Whip cream, whipped topping, etc.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a food processor, pulse the shortbread cookies until they reach a fine crumb. Add salt, sugar and melted butter, and pulse again until crumbs are evenly wet.
3. Dump the crumbs into the bottom of the pie dish, then work on the edges first: Press the crumbs evenly about a ¼” thick up the sides to the top rim. Once the sides are secured, flatten the bottom into an even layer. (If the crumbs are sticking to your hands too much, consider using a plastic foodservice glove, or putting your hand inside a plastic baggie to press the crumbs down. Using a measuring cup works well too.)
4. Bake the crust at 350° for 12 minutes, then cool thoroughly.
5. If you are using the white chocolate (which you should!) spread the chocolate across the bottom and ⅔’s up the sides of the cooled pie shell using a pastry brush. Put the whole thing in the fridge or freezer to help the chocolate thoroughly set.
6. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the pureed strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch with a whisk until all the cornstarch lumps are gone. Then, while whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat until thick. (It should go fast!) Once it has thickened, remove from heat, then whisk in the Jell-O. Let cool for at least a half hour, or until room temperature.
7. Add most of the cooled berry sauce to the quartered strawberries, toss to coat evenly, then layer evenly in the prepared pie shell. If you save some whole berries for the top, toss the rest of the sauce with these then arrange with the bottoms up on top of the pie. Use a spatula and scrape out any remaining sauce evenly over the pie.
8. Let pie sit in the refrigerator for at least three hours to set, or overnight, then serve chilled.
* Tips: If you cannot smell the strawberries through the carton, they are bound to not taste very sweet. They should also be somewhat shiny. You can skip the white chocolate, but it does provide an excellent moisture barrier to the filling, keeping your crust crisp much longer. If you do not have a food processor, you can crush the cookies in a plastic bag, it will just take a bit longer.
Enjoy!