Strawberry Cream Pie
If you think this looks an awful lot like banana cream pie, well, that's because it pretty much is. Only with strawberries.
As such, it isn't likely to cut too nicely. It's going to be a bit of a goopy, creamy mess. Don't worry, once everyone has taken that first bite, they will be too busy eating to notice.
It should be added that when I say a 9" pie, I mean an actual 9" pie; not an 8" pie with flanges, which is what you get if you buy pre-made pie crusts. If you do that and end up with too much filling to go in you could put the extra into glass dessert cups and call it a parfait. (You could do that in the first place, if you wanted to avoid the whole crust business.)
8 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 1 hour prep time, not including setting time
Make the Pie Crust:
OR 1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
4 to 5 tablespoons ice-cold water
Put the flour and salt into a food processor, and whizz briefly. Cut the butter into chunks and add them to the food processor. Process until the butter is the size of peas, then drizzle in the oil. Start adding ice cold water in tablespoons, pulsing between each addition. Once you have added enough that the mixture begins to hold together, turn the contents of the food processor out onto a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper. Press everything together to form a disc of dough, and wrap it up in the paper loosely. Set it aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough into a circle a little larger than your pie plate, sprinkling it with a little flour to keep the rolling pin from sticking. Flip the circle of pastry into the pie plate while it is still attached to the paper, then peel the paper off. Press the pastry into the bottom and sides of the pan. Pierce the dough all over with a fork. Chill it thoroughly.
Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool before filling.
Make the Filling:
1/3 cup arrowroot or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 whole extra-large egg
2 extra-large egg yolks
2 cups rich milk or light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put the sugar, starch and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot, and beat in the egg and egg yolks. Slowly beat in the milk or cream.
Heat the mixture gently, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir constantly. Mix in the vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool but not set.
Assemble the Pie:
1 quart (4 cups) strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Have your prepared baked pie shell ready. Fill it with the strawberries; washed, drained, hulled and sliced. (Save a few berries to garnish the finished pie.) Pour the custard mixture over them, and mix them gently in.
Put the pie in the fridge to set for several hours to overnight. Just before serving, beat the cream stiff with the sugar and vanilla extract. Spread the cream over the pie, and garnish with any reserved berries.
Jennifer Sanders is a Meaford resident and author of the popular 'Ontario Seasonal Food' blog site. She is a regular contributor of local food articles to The Meaford Independent.
