Fresh (and healthy) Strawberry Pie!
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Strawberry season is in full swing! I’ve been picking strawberries for over a week now and it’s been really wonderful. I wanted to make a fresh strawberry pie, and read several recipes, but they always seem to have less-than-healthy ingredients, so I came up with my own recipe. Enjoy!
For the pie shell:
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour or sprouted wheat flour
1/2 cup cold butter (real butter, please)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Cold Milk
For the glaze:
2 cups pear, apple or pineapple juice (fresh, if possible)
1/16th teaspoon stevia extract powder or 1/4 teaspoon powdered stevia leaf
2 Tablespoons Sucanat (dehydrated sugar cane juice)
Small pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice (omit if using pineapple juice)
4 cups fresh, whole strawberries, washed with caps removed and drained well
To make the pie shell:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and butter. Pulse until mixed well and crumbly.
Add cold milk, a little at a time, while the processor is running. When the dough forms a ball, it is ready.
On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate, with a little extra hanging over the edge.
Carefully transfer dough to pie plate.
Flute the edges and then prick the bottom of the pie shell all over with a floured fork. This will prevent the dough from puffing up when you bake it.
Bake the pie shell for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the pie.
To make the glaze:
Combine the fruit juice, stevia, sucanat, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice (except if you are using pineapple juice, omit this), and corn starch in a blender. Blend together well.
Pour the liquid into a small saucepan, and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Boil gently, continuing to stir, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Wash the strawberries and remove the green caps. Drain well. Pour them into the pie shell.
Pour the glaze evenly over the berries.
Refrigerate the pie and chill thoroughly.
If you wish, you can serve this with a little heavy cream, sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
When I have a bumper crop of strawberries, and am pressed for time, I sort them and do NOT cap or wash them, put them in freezer bags and freeze them. When they are needed, I pour them into a colander, rinse, remove caps and proceed! This saves so much time up front, and since they have not been washed, I can take out just the right amount for my recipe.
