Strawberry Pie

Note: I must admit this is not an actual photo of my pie. If only...

We are approaching the end of strawberry season but after buying a large carton of huge, juicy strawberries at Costco - I decided it was time to make a strawberry pie. Whenever I need a new recipe, my first resource is allrecipes.com. I usually look at several different recipes, along with the reviews and suggestions - and then I concoct one of my own. That is how I came up with this recipe.

First, I will say that this was very easy! It also had a very good flavor. And I love that it had a top crust - because I can't get enough crust! But since it doesn't use the traditional gelatin/danish dessert filling that we are used to in strawberry pies - the fruit lost some of it's color. However, I thought it was worth sharing anyway. Along with my notes...

Strawberry Pie

2 (8-9 inch) pie crusts (Note: I used to shy away from making pies because of the crust. Worry no more! The frozen Marie Callendar pie crusts are wonderful! They are so flaky and tasty and easy - I will probably never make homemade pie crust again. But some may find that to be a cop out so go ahead and make your own crust if you want. But I can't tell you how many people rave about this crust when I make it and then I have to tell them it's store bought. Enough said.)
1 1/4 C white sugar (this kind of depends on how sweet your fruit is)
1/3 C all-purpose flour
1 T cornstarch
2 T tapioca Note: I added the cornstarch and the tapioca because I was worried the filling wouldn't be thick enough. I was glad it did! Probably could have added a little more.
1/4 - 1/2 t ground cinnamon
4 C fresh strawberries - Note: Immerse berries in a sink full of cold water, rinse and then dry slightly on a cookie sheet lined with a paper towel. (I also threw in a handful of raspberries and blueberries that I had in the fridge. I ended up with a heaping 4 cups of fruit.)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove pie crusts from package and let thaw for about 15 minutes.
2. Mix together dry ingredients and toss lightly with sliced berries. Pour filling into bottom pie crust. (Note: Let me quickly share a suggestion I read in one of the reviews. I didn't try it but it sounded good. In order to prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy - they melted chocolate and painted it on the inside of the crust - then let the crust set in the fridge before filling it. Sounds yummy, huh?)
3. Dot fruit with butter.
4. Cover with top crust (make a lattice if you want to be really fancy!). Cut slits in the top. Seal and flute edges.
5. Brush crust with cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar
6. Place on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Note: I cut a piece of tin foil to lay just over the edges of the pie. I keep it on for most of the cooking time and only remove it if I want my edges a little browner.
7. It is very important that you let this pie cool for almost 1 hour before serving. It will allow it to set and not be runny.
8. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or the preferred way for me and my dad - in a bowl of milk.

I know I have included a lot of instructions - but this is actually a pretty easy pie (no cooking gelatin, etc.). Especially with the pre-made crusts.

Give it a try!