Strawberry Pie

 

As much as I wanted to make a cherry pie, it just wasn't happening. I did make one, but it was a bust. It looked beautiful, but I wasn't happy with the cherries that were available and I figured you all would have the same problem this time of year. So, we'll revisit cherry pie in a few months when we have all the cherries we want.

Meanwhile, you should make this strawberry pie. This one is requested by my sister almost every time I mention that I'm bringing dessert, it's her favorite. And for good reason!

Let's get started, shall we?

I made my pie crust from scratch, just because after you've tasted home made pie crust, it's hard to go back. However, Pillsbury does make a good refrigerated pie crust. So, if you're going that route,
that's the one I recommend. Otherwise, here's a great pie dough recipe you can always count on.

 4 cups all purpose flour, 2tsp salt, 1 cup vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup ice cold water.

Sift flour and salt into a food processor.

Give it a quick whirl.

Add oil and water.

Pulse until it looks like this. Don't overdo it, or your dough will be tough.

Wrap and store in refrigerator until ready to use. This is enough for a 2-crust pie.

I'm ready to roll, quite literally, so I divide the dough in half. I'm going to start rolling for my bottom crust.
At this point, you're wondering what is this nifty little thing my dough is on, aren't you?

If you're going to make pie more than once a year, I suggest you add one of these to your must have list.
It's called a Pie Crust Maker, and they're very affordable. Here's where you can buy one.
However, you can also roll the dough out between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap,
and both will do just fine.

Unzip, and turn over onto your pie plate. Without stretching your dough, lift the overhanging edges, and let the dough sink down into the plate. Run your finger around the inside edge, and along the bottom to make sure it's in there.

Trim away the excess dough. Depending on the way you're going to do the edges, you may not want to take off as much as I did.

 Whisk together 1/2 cup flour, 4 TB cornstarch, and 3/4 cup sugar.

 Stir in five cups partially thawed, sliced strawberries. Add them to the prepared dough.

Roll out the other half of the pie dough. Here, you can see that after rolling mine, I cut it into 1/2 in. wide strips for a lattice top crust. You can also leave it whole, and cut vents in it after you've assembled your pie. It's all up to you. If you're up for it, here is a great video that shows how to make a lattice top.

Here is what mine looked like after assembling the the lattice. I trimmed the edges again, then pressed all the way around the rim with the tines of a fork.

There are so many ways to decorate pie edges, it's hard to choose sometimes! If you're interested in trying any of them out, here's an excellent video with detailed instructions.

 Once the pie is assembled, and ready for the oven, I brush on a light coating of milk.

And a generous sprinkling of sugar. This is what's going to give the top of your pie that sparkly, shiny finish.

Ready to bake! I put this in an oven preheated at 450, for 10 minutes. Then, dropped the heat to 350, and baked for one hour. If your crust starts to get too dark, cover the edges with foil, or one of these handy little crust shields, if you have one. If you have to take the pie out of the oven to put foil on the edges, remember to adjust your cooking time.

 Let the pie cool - on a wire rack, for at least 2 hours before cutting.

Slice it up, and share the love!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE