Strawberry Pie

The other day I was at Costco. I wanted some strawberries for pie. The grocery stores around here have strawberries, but it is usually more money for less product and the quality is not the same. I can not speak for all produce, but that is my observation. Anyway, I bought the 2lb pack of strawberries. They were $1.88/lb.

When I made the pie, I started with the pie crust, so that it could bake and cool while I made the filling. (Such a smart cookie!)

Pie crust is hard for a lot of people to make. The dough is either too dry, or to wet. When they roll it out, it sticks to the counter. I used to have those problems too. But I have found the recipe that is so easy and if followed exactly, you will get perfect (compliment winning) pie crust every time.






I cannot lie, I did not create this perfect pie crust dough myself. Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa developed it, and I am forever grateful. The secret to her recipe I believe is that her fat is COLD; and it stays COLD. So on with my experience.

I placed flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Then I blended it to combine. Then I added cold butter, which I had diced and 1/3 cup of shortening which was also cold. I keep mine in the fridge, just like Ina so I can make a pie crust in a hurry.

After the fat was added I pulsed it in my food processor till the mixture became the size of peas. Then I turned on the processor at full speed and added 6 tablespoons of ice cold water, at which point my mixture came together into a dough.

Out of the food processor it went, and onto a floured board for just a couple of turns to form it into a more solid ball and to be wrapped in plastic wrap and thrown in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Once the pie crust dough had rested, I cut it in half and rolled it out, and placed it in my pie plate. Then I put tinfoil over the top. I looked for beans to put on top of the tin foil, so the pie crust would not puff up. This process is called blind baking. No, I don't know why. I did not have any beans, so I opted for pasta instead. The pasta did not work as well as the beans. The pasta actually browned in the oven. But I look forward to putting them in a soup or something and see if the baking enhances their flavor.

While the pie crust cooled, I prepared the filling. I took all of my strawberries, and cored them. In a medium saucepan, I took a cup of sugar and some corn starch and some cold water and dissolved it. Then I turned on the stove to heat up the mixture. When the mixture had thickened, I added one package of strawberry gelatin. and took it off the stove to cool to room temperature.

When everything was a room temperature, I placed my cored strawberries in the pie crust and piled them high. Then I dumped the gelatin mixture on top and waited for it to set up completely in the fridge.


One note: I must have not let the cornstarch mixture cook long enough on the stove before I took it off. Therefore it never really set up. It still tasted good though.

If you want to make this recipe in your cooking district, here is the recipe!

Perfect Pie Crust

 Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
• 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Directions

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

By: Janice Papola 

Ingredients

• 2 (8 inch) pie shells, baked
• 2 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
  

  Directions

  1. In a saucepan, mix together the sugar and corn starch; make sure to blend corn starch in completely. Add boiling water, and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mix, and stir until smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature.
  2. Place strawberries in baked pie shells; position berries with points facing up. Pour cooled gel mixture over strawberries.
  3. Refrigerate until set. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

  *****Read this note before making this recipe*****

  This is the same filling I've used for about a year for making strawberry pie (the sugar, cornstarch, water, and jello). However, the amounts listed are what I use to make ONE pie! I have no idea how this amount of filling would cover enough strawberries for 2 pies. Also, my recipe calls for cold water (when mixing it with the jello, cornstarch, and sugar), bringing it all to a boil and boiling it for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. I've never had one turn out soupy or rubbery.