Fresh Strawberry Pie is a sweet, glistening summer treat so easy, a kindergartner can make it
Fresh strawberries, a crisp shortbread crust and that sweet gelatin that makes the berries glisten. Need more convincing?
This week’s recipe is simple: Fresh Strawberry Pie. A kindergartner could make it with a bit of supervision and perhaps an adult assistant to slice the berries. My GiGi used to make pies constantly, and I remember my dad raving about the strawberry pie.
Our family must be partial to strawberries because she also made incredible strawberry jam. I still have a jar that says “From Santa” that she sent home with me years ago filled with strawberry jam. It’s my special jar and makes me smile to see her handwriting on it.
GiGi made her strawberry pie with a traditional pie crust, but I love the idea of this shortbread crust because it’s quicker and requires less finesse. I find that I need more butter to get shortbread or graham cracker crusts to form. so don’t be afraid to add a couple more tablespoons to the crust. After all, butter makes everything better.
And after it’s chilled, a cold slice of pie on a hot summer day is the perfect sweet way to end the day.
How to make strawberry pie
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle. Pulse the cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, then add sugar and butter until combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and around the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until golden brown, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Select about 20 strawberries as close to the same size and set aside. Cut the remaining berries and toss with the remaining sugar and lemon juice. Let stand, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Drain the berry mixture through a sieve into a measuring cup. To the measuring cup, add enough water to measure 2 cups. Transfer the liquid to a saucepan and reserve the berries.
Sprinkle gelatin over the liquid and let soften for a minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring the gelatin to dissolve. Add the diced berries, then transfer to a metal bowl in an ice bath and stir frequently until the mixture begins to mound, about 20 minutes.
Spoon 1/2 cup filling into the pie crust and arrange the reserved whole berries, stem ends down, on the filling. Spoon the remaining filling over and between berries. Chill until the filling is set, at least 4 hours.
This story was originally published June 27, 2023 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Fresh Strawberry Pie is a sweet, glistening summer treat so easy, a kindergartner can make it."