Who’s obsessed with Strawberry Pie? THIS GIRL.
Who didn’t even know it existed until a few months ago? ALSO THIS GIRL.
I mean, sure, I’d maybe seen it in a grocery store or at a farm stand sometimes, but it never really caught my attention. That luscious strawberry filling was always hidden by a flaky, golden top crust.
Which is not a bad thing, mind you. I love crust. It’s my main reason for eating pie. I’ve never really preferred pie filling to pie crust….
UNTIL NOW.
Enter this ruby red Strawberry Pie, made with a shortbread cookie crust and topped with whipped cream.
I am now obsessed with this dessert, and it will be my go-to summer sweet for BBQs, picnics, and potlucks from this day forward.
(Friends and family, consider yourself forewarned. Luckily, it pairs really well with our time-honored Coconut Cake).
I’ve been waiting to make this Strawberry Pie since the dead of winter, when I read The Cookbook Club. My local farmstand sells the most amazing strawberries every summer; small and perfect, plump and bursting with sun-ripened flavor.
I just knew I had to use them to make this book-inspired recipe that first brought the main characters of The Cookbook Club together.
Let me tell you: the wait was worth it.
Strawberry Pie is the perfect dessert for a hot, humid summer evening because you serve it chilled. Each bite is cool and sweet and refreshing. I loved the satiny fruit filling mixed with the crumbly, crunchy cookie crust on the bottom of the pie.
And when you top it with whipped cream? OMG
It reminds me of those soft-serve vanilla ice cream sundaes topped with strawberry preserves…only better. Because it’s in pie form and won’t melt in .325 seconds.
Strawberry Pie is almost a no-bake recipe. Almost. You have to bake a cookie crust for like, 20 minutes, and then you’re done. So Strawberry Pie barely qualifies as a “full bake” recipe, making it the perfect dessert to make in hot weather.
I used Cool Whip for the “whipped cream,” by the way. You can, too. Don’t make life harder on yourself. IT’S SUMMER.
One more thing about Strawberry Pie: It’s not really a looker in slice form. But, that could also be because I didn’t wait for it to completely set before prizing out a few slices for taste-testing.
Bring this pie to the table whole, all trussed up with whipped cream and a strawberry or two on top, let your guests ooh and ahhh over the presentation, and then tumble the slices onto their waiting plates.
Blogger’s Note: These photos were taken using the Slate surface and the Weathered Wood surface from Replica Surfaces. I’m a Replica Surfaces Ambassador! Click on http://replicasurfaces.com/awellreadtart (affiliate link) to learn about this favorite brand of mine.
Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST INGREDIENTS
- 10 oz package of shortbread cookies (like Lorna Doones)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
STRAWBERRY FILLING INGREDIENTS
- 2-2.5 lbs fresh strawberries
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp strawberry preserves
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- pinch of kosher salt
TOPPING INGREDIENTS (OPTIONAL)
- whipped cream
- 2-3 additional strawberries
Instructions
SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Melt butter and set aside.
- In a food processor, blitz together the shortbread cookies, flour, 3 tbsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt until finely ground. Pour the crumbs into a large mixing bowl, then mix in the melted butter with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened.
- Pour crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Press into an even layer (I used the bottom of a glass) and up the sides of the pie plate, as high as you can go without going over the edge.
- Set the pie plate on a baking tray and bake at 350F for 20 minutes, or until set and golden brown. While the pie crust bakes, you can make your filling (see below).
- Set pie plate on cooling rack to cool completely.
STRAWBERRY FILLING INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the tops off your strawberries, then cut the berries into quarters, or into eighths if the strawberries are large.
- Place 2 cups of chopped strawberries in a medium saucepan; reserve the remaining chopped strawberries in a large bowl.
- Mash the 2 cups of strawberries in the saucepan with a potato masher until pulpy, then stir in the 1/3 cup sugar, strawberry preserves, water, cornstarch, and pinch of salt.
- Heat strawberry mixture in saucepan over medium heat until boiling, then continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly while the mixture continues to boil (watch out for splashing!)
- Remove the strawberry mixture from the stove and pour into the large bowl with the reserved chopped berries. Add in the lemon juice and stir until all ingredients are completely combined.
- When your pie crust is cool (it MUST be cool), pour the warm strawberry filling into the baked pie crust. Pat the filling into a smooth, even layer, then place pie in the fridge to cool and set. This will take at least 4-5 hours, but it's best if you can let it sit overnight.
- Serve Strawberry Pie chilled with whipped cream (homemade or store-bought) and additional strawberries for garnish, if desired.
OMG, that looks amazing!!! The colours!! ❤️❤️❤️ I think I might actually give this a go; I suppose because you mash the strawberries and mix them all together, it doesn’t matter if the strawberries are a little mushy? The strawberries here are starting to go a little soft, so just wondered
Hi, Nicola! Yes, absolutely — this recipe is perfect for strawberries that aren’t really the best for snacking on but would be great in jams or pie filling like this. When I made this, my strawberries were a little past their prime, and that actually really enhanced the flavor! I hope you love the pie as much as I do. 🙂