Fresh Strawberry Pie

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 All Butter Pie Crust pre-baked and cooled (recipe below for the pie crust if making from scratch)

For the Strawberry Pie Filling

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries, divided
• 1 cup sugar (granulated sugar)
• ⅓ cup water
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 3½ tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
• Whipped Cream for garnish

For the Pie Crust

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted very cold butter, cubed
• 4-8 tablespoons ice water, divided (¼ -½ cup)
• 1 egg yolk, for egg wash for crust
  
  

Directions

Prepare Crust (Skip if using storebought pie shell)

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and sugar. You could also make this in food processor pulsing a few times to combine.
2. Add the butter, working it into the flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry blender until butter is pea-sized
3. Stir in 4 tablespoons of ice water. Add more ice water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until mixture begins to hold together.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press until dough has formed. Do not overwork or the crust will be tough. Shape into a flattened disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
5. When ready to bake the pie remove dough from fridge. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pie dough into an 11-inch (28 cm) circle, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch pie plate or pie pan (23 cm) -regular not deep dish. Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the plate, (Be careful not to pull or stretch the dough). Trim dough as needed then fold any overhanging dough under itself along the lip. Crimp the edges.

Bake Crust

1. Pierce bottom of the crust with a fork (this prevents air pockets or bubbles from forming while baking). Line the crust with two sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper (Be sure to push/press foil against the edges of the crust). Then, fill foil with dried rice, dried beans or pie weights. Refrigerate 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
2. In the meantime, heat oven to 375°F. Place a baking sheet on a middle oven rack.
3. Remove pie from fridge, place pie crust onto preheated baking sheet. Bake 12-16 minutes or until the crust edges start to brown.
4. Make egg wash by whisking egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Then, remove pie crust from oven and carefully remove parchment and pie weights. Brush bottom and sides of crust with egg wash. Place pie crust back in the oven and bake until egg wash is dry and shiny, and crust is golden, another 12-16 minutes. Cool crust completely before filling.

For the Filling & Assembly

1. Measure out two cups of berries, wash and hull them, then crush them with a potato masher or a fork
2. Add the crushed strawberries, sugar, water, extracts, lemon juice, Lemon zezt, pinch of salt and cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it boils. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Cool completely before continuing. (You can also make this a day ahead)
3. To assemble the pie, hull and slice the remaining strawberries and place them in a bowl. Add the cooled strawberry mash to the bowl and fold to combine
4. Pour strawberry filling into cooled pie crust and spread out evenly
5. Chill for at least 2-3 hours before slicing and serving until filling has set
6. Top with fresh whipped cream before serving.
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Feel free to use a refrigerated or frozen pie crust instead of my recipe.
• Don’t assemble the pie until the day you’re going to eat it.
• Do not over work crust or over bake - naturally this pie crust is nice and crispy so that it will hold up against the fresh berry filling.
• This pie is best eaten the same day it’s made. It will get weepy if refrigerated overnight. We have enjoyed it up to 2 days after - the flavour is still good but the cruat will soften and the filling will weep slightly.
• If you are using store-bought pie dough, blind bake according to the package instructions. (To help the crust stay in place while baking, you can fill with pie weights as stated in recipe). Once baked, transfer onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• How to store: Fresh strawberry pie is best served fresh the day that you make it, to prevent the crust from being soggy when served. If you have leftovers, you can store this fresh strawberry pie lightly covered in plastic wrap for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator (but expect the pie to get runny and the crust to get a little soggy).