Strawberry Pie

When strawberries are abundant, and you want a recipe that showcases both their beauty and flavor, try this Strawberry Pie (Tart). This recipe is from Carole Walter's book Great Pies & Tarts and it starts with a pre baked pie crust that is filled with fresh strawberries that are all coated with a shiny, tangy flavored, gelatinized raspberry sauce made with fresh raspberries. Absolutely delicious. You can serve this tart plain or it is even better with a dollop of softly whipped cream.



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A few notes on the pie crust. First, you can use either a 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan, and you can use any type of pre baked pie crust. My choice is this buttery and crisp shortbread crust that is very easy to put together. Just place the ingredients in your food processor and give them a quick whirl until you see the pastry start to come together. Then simply press the pastry into your tart or pie pan and place the pan in the freezer. We freeze the pastry shell because it needs to be pre baked, and freezing makes covering the crust with parchment paper and filling it with pie weights unnecessary. Once the crust is baked, it needs to be completely cooled before filling with the strawberries and raspberry sauce.

Of course, the strawberries take center stage in this pie, so we need to use great tasting ones. That means you need to resist making this pie when strawberries are out of season and have little flavor (even if they look good). If you are lucky enough to live close to a u-pick strawberry farm or a farmer's market, that would be my choice for fresh strawberries. However, in the summer you can also get pretty good tasting strawberries at your local grocery stores. When choosing strawberries look for fragrant, plump, firm, uniformly sized, bright-red berries with no white or green "shoulders" at the stem end. The green leaf-like cap or hull should still be attached and not brown or wilted. There should be no soft spots, bruising or mildew. Always check the underside of the container to make sure there are no squashed berries or red juice (sign of overripe berries). Strawberries range in size and can be as small as a grape to as large as a golf ball. Size is not the deciding factor to taste but generally the larger berries are not as flavorful. Strawberries are a delicate fruit and do not store well. If not using immediately store in a single layer on a paper towel-lined tray in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days. Do not wash or remove caps before storing as strawberries absorb moisture.



Now, before we cut the strawberries into slices, we need to make the gelatinized raspberry sauce. While you can use fresh raspberries, I prefer frozen unsweetened raspberries. They need to be defrosted first and then strained to remove the seeds. A little sugar and blackberry jam are added to the strained raspberry sauce and this mixture is heated until it thickens. Then a jelly, made with unflavored gelatin that has been activated with water, is folded into the raspberry sauce. The sauce is placed in the refrigerator until it starts to gel, and then the final step is to fold it into the strawberries. The cut strawberries, all coated with the delicious raspberry sauce, are placed in the cooled pie shell and refrigerated for a few hours until firm.



This strawberry pie is best served the day it is made, but it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Lovely on its own, but it is hard to resist a dollop of softly whipped cream.





Shortbread Crust: Grease with butter, or a non stick cooking spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) pie plate or tart pan with a removable bottom.



In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. Place the pastry in the prepared pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Cover and place the pastry crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. (This will help prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes.)



Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.



When the pastry is completely chilled, bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.



Filling: Defrost the frozen unsweetened raspberries and then process them in a food processor or blender until pureed. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer placed over a large bowl and force the juice from the berries by gently pressing the berries with the back of a large spoon. (All that should remain in the strainer is the raspberry seeds.)



Then in a small measuring cup sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup (60 ml) of cold water. Let this mixture sit for about five minutes, or until softened, and then microwave for a few seconds to dissolve the gelatin.



Meanwhile, place the raspberry puree, along with the sugar and jam, in a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Stir with a wire whisk until the jam dissolves and the sauce comes to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the dissolved gelatin. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Transfer the raspberry sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until the mixture starts to gel (this will take about 45 to 60 minutes).



Meanwhile, cut the strawberries into 1/4 inch slices. Place the strawberries slices in a large bowl and fold in the thickened raspberry sauce, 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. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.



Serves 8.









Shortbread Crust:



1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour



1/3 cup (35 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar



1/8 teaspoon salt



1/2 cup (114 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces



Filling:



12 ounce bag (340 grams) frozen unsweetened raspberries



1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water



1 package (1/4 ounce) (7 grams) unflavored gelatin



3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar



2 tablespoons seedless blackberry or raspberry jam



4 cups (about 2 pounds) (900 grams) fresh strawberries



1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice