Friday, August 4, 2017

My Favorite Fresh Strawberry Pie

I'm already starting to think about what kinds of goodies I wanna make this Fall. Don't worry, I won't jump into all the pumpkin stuff until an appropriate period of grieving over the end of summer has passed. Or, will I? Just kidding. I totally won't. I don't want to be one of those people. You know who I'm talkin' about.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Sourdough Crust
This fresh strawberry pie with sourdough crust doesn't last long in my house.

Let's just continue to enjoy summer together with my favorite fresh strawberry pie. There are a bunch of different ways to make this perfect summertime treat. Here's how I like to do it.

Homemade Sourdough Pie Crust
This sourdough pie crust is rich and flaky with a hint of sourdough flavor.

I start with a sourdough crust. One batch of my sourdough pastry will make two or three 9" pie crusts. I like to make up a batch and freeze the extra crusts for later use. Just make sure you start the process the night before you want pie as the sourdough crust needs time to ferment. When I'm pressed for time (and energy) I like to use a store-bought graham cracker crust. I buy a gluten free one, but a regular graham cracker crust is perfectly fine too. The sweet graham cookie flavor goes perfect with this pie. In fact, I sometimes prefer it.

On a side note, in case you're wondering why I either choose gluten free or sourdough products, it's because wheat can be hard for some people to digest. When I stopped eating wheat products my battle with indigestion all but disappeared. I still eat wheat, occasionally, but I try to ferment it using my sourdough starter whenever I can. The probiotics (friendly yeast and bacteria in my starter) break down the structure of the wheat making it easier to digest. I know, a bit scientific. Bottom line, my tummy feels better when I avoid straight up wheat.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Sourdough Crust

While my sourdough crust cools, I cook up my gelatin mixture using Taste of Home's recipe. A cornstarch and sugar slurry gets heated until thick. Then, I add in a small box of strawberry Jello.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Sourdough Crust
Is there anything better than fresh strawberries piled into a homemade crust?

While my gelatin mixture cools in the fridge, I slice up the strawberries and pile them into my crust.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Sourdough Crust

The cooled gelatin mixture gets poured on top of the fresh berries and the pie goes into the fridge for a few hours 'til set.

Cool Whip topped fresh strawberry pie
I like to top my fresh strawberry pie with good ol' Cool Whip to keep things easy.

Lastly, I top my pie with a whole honk'n container of Cool Whip. Fresh whipped cream is also good if you don't mind the extra step. I like the flavor, stability, and easiness of Cool Whip, so that's what I usually go with for this pie.

A slice of this pie on a warm summer night is just the right way to enjoy summer. My advice? Strawberry on until the pumpkins take over. 🍓

Fresh Strawberry Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 9" sourdough pie crust using my sourdough pastry recipe (use my recipe to roll out 2 or 3 crusts and freeze the extra crusts for later use) OR use a store-bought graham cracker crust
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
1 3 oz package strawberry Jello
4 cups sliced strawberries
1 8 oz tub Cool Whip, thawed in the fridge

DIRECTIONS
1. Blind bake your sourdough pie crust. (If using a store-bought graham cracker crust, skip down to step 2.) After you've rolled out your crust, lined your pie plate, and rested the crust in the freezer for 5 minutes, gently line your crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights, pierce the bottom of your crust with a fork, and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. If the edges are getting too brown, cover them with foil.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and water and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes until thick.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the strawberry Jello. Refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes.
4. Slice your berries, if you haven't already, and arrange them into your cooled pie crust.
5. When the timer is up for your gelatin mixture, pour it over the berries as evenly as possible. Refrigerate pie for a few hours until set.
6. Spread the whole tub of Cool Whip over the top of your pie.
7. Continue to say "yes" to strawberries and "no" to pumpkin.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Sourdough Crust

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