Until recently I didn't know that fresh strawberry pie was my favorite pie. I'd never actually tried it because the ones at the store or in restaurants looked......less than what I would call 'fresh' shall we say. Then I took the boys to pick strawberries at Frobergs. Here's a link if you want to know how to get there http://local.yahoo.com/info-19153006-froberg-vegetable-fruit-farm-alvin . Also, here's a link to a site that lists pick your own fruit and veggie farms all across the country http://www.pickyourown.org/
At $1.80 per pound of strawberries it's loads of fun and you get some fantastic strawberries. It took a little guidance at first, but once they got the idea of how to find the perfect strawberry they were off. Two buckets and 7 1/2 lbs of strawberries later we went home. I froze a few but decided to try strawberry pie since I never had before. After I got the crust rolled, Christopher booted me out of the way and took over the pie making but graciously told us that Ethan could make the whipped cream and I could cook the crusts after he decorated the edges. The pies turned out great and I've been craving more ever since. I doubt it would be as good with store bought strawberries, but I'm still tempted to give it a go. Anyway, here's the recipe for fresh strawberry pie and a few other random desserts that are equally delicious as well as a few pictures of my strawberry picking crew....
Fresh Strawberry Pie –Betty Crocker
8 c fresh strawberries, washed & stemmed
2/3 c water
2/3 c sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 pie crust baked & cooled
Take 1 cup of strawberries, the water, sugar & cornstarch & zap it in the blender or food processor until there are no lumps left. Cook it in a saucepan on med stirring constantly until it boils. Let it boil 2 min or so until it becomes thick. Remove it from the heat & let it cool a bit (10 or so min). Arrange the strawberries pointed side up all along the pie crust. It’s prettier to do it this way, but you can slice up the strawberries if you want. I say if it looks better and is less work to boot why do it any other way? Pour the strawberry sauce you made over the whole strawberries making sure that all of the strawberries are completely covered. Pop it in the fridge for about an hour then top w/ whipped cream and serve. The Betty Crocker book says you should eat it within 2 or so hours or it may start to get runny. They lie like politicians. We had one in the fridge for 2 days and it was still fine. (Don’t start thinking we have self control or anything; we did make 5 pies.)
Aunt Steph’s Never Fail Pie Crust makes one double crust pie or two single
This one is great for those who have trouble getting a crust to turn out right. I usually make this one but with 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening
1 c shortening
3/4 tsp salt
2 c flour
1/4 c ice water
Measure shortening into bowl then add salt and 1/2 of flour and stir until it's creamed together & is smooth. Add water and remaining flour and stir until mixture clings together in a bowl.
Eclair Dessert-Aunt Cheryl
1 recipe choux pastry dough (cream puff dough)
1 lg package instant chocolate pudding
1 pkg softened cream cheese
2 c whipped cream
chocolate sauce
Choux Pastry (Cream Puff/Eclair dough)
I don't know where I put my recipe, but this one from Joy of Baking is good too I'm told
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 large eggs lightly beaten
In a bowl sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour mixture. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about a minute or two). Transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, and beat on low speed a minute or two to release the steam from the dough. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste.
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*NOTE*
You can now use this dough to make cream puffs by piping 1 inch mounds onto parchment and baking the same way as directed below or make individual eclairs by piping little logs of dough. If you make larger 'puffs' and bake them a bit longer they work great as little sandwiches filled with tuna/chicken salad instead of pastry cream.
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Spread the choux pastry dough on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Set aside to cool. While it's cooling, mix up the pudding w/ 1/2 the amount of milk called for then beat in the cream cheese. Spread on cooled crust. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Delish!
The Raspberry Pretzel Thing-Sharon Nelson makes a 9x13 pan
1 1/2 c crushed pretzels
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c melted butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
8 oz cool whip
1/2 c sugar
1 Lg raspberry jello
2 c hot water
28 oz sweetened frozen raspberries
Mix the crushed pretzels, 1/2c sugar and melted butter and press them into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes and then cool. Mix the cream cheese, cool whip and 1/2 c sugar and spread over cooled crust. Mix the jello and hot water. When the jello is dissolved mix in the frozen raspberries. When it's almost set spread it over the cream cheese and pop in the fridge for an hour or so. This stuff is SO good.
Bread pudding
1 1/2 c cream (or1 c warm water and 1 c powdered coffee creamer mixed together)
3 medium eggs
1/4 c soft butter
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
4 slices of old bread, cubed (french bread works really well.
Preheat oven to 350. Mix everything but the bread together and dump 1/2 of it into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Spread the bread cubes in the pan and then pour the rest of the mixture over the top. Bake 20-30 minutes or until it's set in the middle. Top with nutmeg sauce (recipe to follow).
Nutmeg Sauce
1/2 c sugar
1 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c milk
1/4 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
Melt the butter in a saucepan then add everything else and cook on medium until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but don't boil it. Pour over bread pudding. Or if you're me or Gram just eat it with a spoon.
Butternut Brownie Pie- Lubys This pie is Ma Whipple's favorite. The name is misleading though because there's no butter or brownies or chocolate of any kind in it. Go figure.
5 egg whites at room temp
1 c sugar
14 graham crackers broken into bite-size pieces
1 c chopped pecans
Whipped cream to top
Preheat oven to 350. Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form then fold in the graham crackers and pecans and spoon into a pie pan. Don't just dump it in, you don't want to ruin all the fluffiness of the meringue. Bake for 30 min and cool completely. You're going for a crunchy, crisp texture. The manager at the restaurant said they turn off the oven and open the door and let it cool in the oven with the door open. When it's cooled top with whipped cream and serve.
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