If I hadn’t needed that particular pie pan, the leak would have gone undiscovered most likely for a while. Instead, we were able to tackle it early on, and that’s where the “silver lining” came through.

Now let’s get to the pie. The one I’ve chosen is easy to make and includes strawberry jam. That not only enhances flavor but, along with cornstarch, helps with the setting up of the filling. 

Fresh strawberry pie with seasonal, local berries. Are you hungry yet? 

Top it with a cloud of creme Chantilly (a fancy name for vanilla whipped cream) and you have a dessert that begs for seconds.

I’ve got a simple homemade pie crust recipe on my site if you want to go full tilt and make the pie crust from scratch. The recipe is straight forward and is the one I teach to students new to baking.

Fresh strawberry pie

Ingredients 

About 3 pounds fresh strawberries, enough to make 8-10 cups after removing stems – see tip

1/3 cup sugar

3-4 tablespoons strawberry jam/preserves

4 tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoon cold water

Pinch or 2 of salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1 baked pie crust

Whipped cream for garnish

Instructions

Cut strawberries into quarters, or eighths, if large. 

Put 2 cups berries in saucepan and crush completely with potato masher. 

Set aside rest of berries in large bowl.

To berries in saucepan, stir in sugar, 3 tablespoons strawberry jam, cornstarch, water and salt. 

Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Mixture starts out opaque but cooks up somewhat translucent. Add bit more jam if you like. 

Add cooked strawberry mixture, lemon juice and vanilla to strawberries in bowl and stir gently to combine well.

Pour into baked crust, smooth top a bit and refrigerate at least 4 hours. 

Depending upon the ripeness of the berries, it will set up pretty firm or a bit less firm. Either way, it’s yummy!

Serve with creme Chantilly.

Adapted slightly from New York Times.

Creme chantilly

No real recipe, but here’s how I do it. 

Whip a cup of very cold whipping cream with 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whip until soft, but stable, peaks form. 

Tip

Take store bought pie crust up a notch.

Brush inside with a real small amount of melted, cooled butter or heavy whipping cream.

Let berries drain well after washing, then remove stems. 

Helps prevent them from absorbing water.

Homemade pie crust

Ingredients

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ice water

Instructions

Put shortening in a bowl. Add flour and salt. Mix with a fork or pastry blender until real crumbly.
Start adding water, 1/4 cup to start, and mix until dough comes together. It usually takes an additional 2 tablespoons for me, but it’s OK to use the full amount.

Roll out on floured surface an inch larger than pie pan.

Press into pan, trim edges to 1/2” beyond rim, then pinch edges as desired.