There are few things in life I enjoy more than fresh strawberry pie – especially with homemade glaze. Unfortunately it took me a while to find a recipe for homemade glaze that was fool-proof – and believe me, I tried several! I kept having the same problem – the glaze would thicken nicely, I would toss the berries in the glaze, and then several hours later I’d have strawberry soup. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t quite soup but it got so thin that each slice no longer held it’s shape. Then, several years ago Cook’s Illustrated published a recipe for fresh strawberry pie. Their recipe was unique because they used sure-jell instead of jello and guess what? Their recipe doesn’t thin down after it sits! Yay!! So go find yourself some fresh strawberries and bake a pie! I promise you won’t regret it…unless you’re planning to lay around in your bikini for a few days but even then it’s worth it =). Enjoy!
Fresh Strawberry Pie
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked and cooled
2-3 pints fresh strawberries, gently rinsed and dried, hulled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1-1/2 tsp Sure-Jell for low-sugar recipes (the pink box)
pinch of salt
1. Select 6 ounces (about 1-1/2 cups) misshapen, underripe, or otherwise unattractive berries, halving those that are large. In a food processor, process the berries to a smooth puree, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.
2. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, Sure-Jell, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in the berry puree, making sure to scrape the corners of the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, and bring to a full boil. Boil, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent scorching, for 2 minutes to ensure that the cornstarch is fully cooked (mixture will appear frothy when it first reaches a boil, then will darken and thicken with further cooking). Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, pick over the remaining berries saving the most attractive ones – you just need enough to fill your pie crust; halve only extra-large berries. Add the berries to the bowl with the glaze and fold gently with a rubber spatula until the berries are evenly coated. Scoop the berries into the pie shell, piling into a mound. If any cut sides face up on top, turn them face down. Refrigerate pie until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve within 5 hours of chilling
*from Cook’s Illustrated
This issue of Cook’s Illustrated has a lot of great recipes (we love their Crepes with a bunch of the fillings, Juicy Pub-Style Burgers, Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw with Apples and Tarragon or with Red Bell Pepper and Jalapeno, Spring Vegetable Pasta, and Nasi Goreng). I wanted to second that this pie is sooooooooo good!!!!! We also love their Cook’s Country Icebox Strawberry Pie, which is quite a different style using sliced strawberries and gelatin. I have made them both twice each; this is my fav and the other is my husband’s fav, but we both love both, and I can’t imagine anyone not loving a slice of this pie!
I love Cook’s Illustrated too! They never let me down :). I’m definitely going to have to give that Icebox Strawberry Pie a try. Thanks for stopping by!