Strawberry Pie: Daring Bakers

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Rachael from pizzarossa was our lovely June 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she had us whipping up delicious pies in our kitchens! Cream pies, fruit pies, chocolate pies, even crack pies!   I had a very difficult time choosing which pie to make because they all sounded amazing!  In fact I have the crack pie on the menu to make this week and I’m hoping to make the caramel chocolate pie later in July.

The pie I decided to make was the strawberry pie.  There are several reasons I chose this pie.  For starters, I love strawberries so that was easy.  Secondly I have make a lattice topped pie on my 32 while 32 list so this would help me check that one off.  Lastly, I wanted a delicate, delicious crust to make with my King Arthur Flour perfect pastry blend.

The pie did not start off well.  The pie crust looked amazing.  It was delicate, soft, and smooth but when I baked it in the pan I didn’t use enough pie weights and the crust started falling down.  I quickly took it out, adjusted it, and put it back in to bake.  The crust ended up perfect.

The pie filling was another story.  It was more watery then I wanted but I hoped it would firm up in the oven.  No such luck.  It still looked runny.  The pie crust on top did manage to cook and the pie seemed to set up over night but I worried all the next day.  I was taking it to a picnic at my brother’s fiancee’s parents house so I was nervous.

I sliced the pie after dinner, held my breath, and….perfection!  The strawberries held their form and the slice came right out of the pan.  The crust was flaky and buttery which was wonderful with the sweet strawberry filling.  I’m so glad I had the chance to make this pie and I can’t wait to make it again!

Strawberry Pie (from The Italian Baker)
For the pasta frolla (pie crust):
2/3 c. butter, at room temperature
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 2/3 c. King Arthur Perfect Pastry Blend
1/4 t. salt

1.  In the bowl of a mixer cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

2.  Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and salt.

3.  Add in the Perfect Pastry Blend and mix until the dough comes together but remains soft, about 1 minute.  Do not over mix.

4.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5.  Lightly grease a shallow pie pie.  On a lightly floured surface roll 2/3 of the dough out to a circle large enough to fill the pie pan.  Transfer the dough to the pie dish and press in gently.  Prick the bottom with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Return the remaining dough to the refrigerator as well.

6.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill the pie crust with pie weights or dry beans.  Bake for 15 minutes or until set.  Remove the weights and allow to cool.

For the strawberry filling:
3 c. strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered
2 c. sugar
4 t. pectin
2 T. lemon juice

1.  Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.  Keep at a hard boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat.

2.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

For finishing the pie:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Roll out the remaining pie dough to cover the top of the pie and cut into 1/2 inch strips.

3.  Spread the strawberry filling in the baked pie crust.  Arrange the strips of dough in a lattice over the filling.  Trim the excess dough and lightly pinch the edges.

4.  Place the pie pan on a baking sheet and cook for 18-23 minutes or until the lattice is golden.

5.  Cool completely.  Cut and serve with whipped cream.