Strawberry Pie

Sorry about the delay, I'm finally feeling better!


Last weekend I made some wonderful tartlettes, they were filled with raspberry sauce, which was covered in lemon filling, and topped with fresh strawberries. They were excellent.
I planned to blog them, but they were just too complicated for most people to make.
So I decided to share this recipe instead, its simple, delicious and still pretty awe-inspiring.
My mother made these pies once for a family reunion and then was forced to bring them again for several years, because everyone loved them so much.

I know a lot of you will be tempted to use a pre-made pie crust, but I highly recommend making your own. It's simple and once you get the hang of it, no trouble at all. You could bake the crust a day ahead of time if you want. The crust recipe should be doubled if you want to use it for a pie with a top crust.

Strawberry Pie
1 3oz packet of strawberry flavored gelatin
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/2 cup of sugar
1 pint of strawberries (buy extra though, I didn't have enough)

1/2 cup of shortening
1 cup of flour
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
A few tablespoons of cold water

For the crust:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt, use a pastry blender or fork to break up the shortening and mix it into the flour. Once the mixture is crumbly and the shortening is in chunks roughly the size of peas, add a few tablespoons of water, until the mixture comes together and will form a ball. (Don't over mix) Wrap in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for about an hour.
















Cover a flat surface with flour, and roll out the dough into as close to a circle as you can manage.
Transfer the dough to a pie pan (whatever you do, do not spray the pan with nonstick spray) and crimp the edges at the top, poke holes in the bottom.
Bake the crust at 375 for about 10 minutes, basically till it's light brown.
Let the crust cool.















Whisk the gelatin, 1/2 cup of sugar, water and cornstarch in a saucepan, heat on medium till boiling, then let cool to room temperature.

Once the glaze and crust are cool, pour enough of the glaze into the pie to cover the bottom, then cut the tops of the strawberries off and arrange them in the pie crust. Once the strawberries are in place, pour the rest of the glaze over the strawberries. Let the pie set in the fridge for 1-3 hours.
















This recipe is a product of my grandmother's pie crust recipe, and a strawberry pie recipe passed down on my mother's side.

Strawberries (were on sale) and Peach Cobbler

I wish I hadn't waited till one in the morning to start a blog, because today (by which I mean Tuesday) I made a beautiful strawberry peach cobbler.

And took one picture of it.
I have one picture of a nearly empty baking dish.
Although an empty dish was an accomplishment because while I am generally considered to be a good cook, my family members are EXTREMELY picky eaters. I can't fault them for it though, because I'm kind of picky too.

So this is an experiment in getting picky eaters to try new, more interesting (and hopefully healthier) foods. I'm sick of eating take-out and over processed food, and want to challenge myself to make more food from scratch.

So let's start with dessert.

Strawberries (were on sale) and Peach Cobbler
(adapted from this recipe)

The Fruit:

• 29 ounce can of sliced peaches in juice (feel free to use fresh, but this is what I had on hand)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
• 1/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  
• Pinch salt
• 2 pints of fresh strawberries
  

The Topping

• 2 cups self-rising flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 pinches nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the peaches, cornstarch or flour, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, tossing gently. Cut the strawberries in half and add them to the fruit mixture and transfer the mixture to a baking dish (I used a 10 inch round cake pan, just use whatever you have on hand that looks right). Set aside.

In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or fork until coarse and crumbly.

Add 3/4 cup of milk and mix just until combined. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to smooth it out. Form into a ball and roll out into the shape and size of the baking dish, about 1/2-inch thick. Place the dough on top of the prepared fruit.

Brush the top of the dough with egg wash (just a beaten egg) and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.

***Place the cobbler on a sheet-pan to catch any juices that may boil over.***

Bake until the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Made perfect with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream.