Strawberry Pie

I know strawberry season is over but they are still plentiful in grocery stores so you can still use this recipe through the end of August. And of course, as a devoted reader, you will pin this and save it for later. 😉

I made this pie back in May for a friend’s wedding and I was surprised at how good it turned out. I’m not going to lie, I used a Pilsbury store-bought crust after 2 attempts at homemade crusts that resulted in epic fails. I used a recipe that included vodka and the crust fell in on itself – I don’t recommend vodka.

This recipe for the filling is fairly simple and I got it from the Joy of Baking. It includes fresh strawberries and frozen raspberries. The hardest part is putting the thawed raspberries through a strainer to get out all the seeds and pulp. It just takes, time but it isn’t difficult. Then you boil the jam, raspberry juice and sugar, add the gelatin and create a filling to mix with the strawberries and hold them together. It’s a great flavor – not too sweet and adds a nice tartness from the berries and lemon juice.

Recipe:

Crust

Be a cheater like me and use the refrigerated store-bought kind. If you have a good fool-proof recipe, you can use it…show off.

Filling:

• 12 ounce bag frozen unsweetened raspberries
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 tablespoons seedless blackberry or raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshlemonjuice
• 4 cups (about 2 pounds) fresh strawberries

Thaw the frozen unsweetened raspberries and then transfer to a fine mesh strainer placedover a large bowl. Gently press the berries with the back of a large spoon to release their juices. (All that should remain in the strainer is the raspberry seeds.) Put the raspberry juice, along with the sugar and jam, in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the jam dissolves and the sauce just comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small measuring cup sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over 1/4 cup (60 ml) of cold water. Let this mixture sit for about 5 -10 minutes, or until it becomes softened and spongy, and then microwave about 20 seconds or until the gelatin has completely dissolved.Remove the raspberry juice from the heat and stir in the dissolved gelatin and lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until the mixture starts to gel, stirring periodically (this takes about an hour).

Meanwhile, cut the strawberries into bite-sized chunks. Place the strawberries in a large bowl and fold in the thickened raspberry juice, making sure all the strawberries are coated with the sauce. Pour the strawberries into the baked and cooled pie shell and place in the refrigerator until firm (about three hours). Serve with softly whipped cream, if desired. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. This pie can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.