Glazed Strawberry Pie

This is a nice pie for strawberry season (late spring and early summer), but it is also nice when the weather gets warmer.  You need a baked pie crust, and you can make your own but you can use a frozen pie crust. Prick the floor of the pie crust with a fork and bake it in the oven according to package directions. Gluten free option: there are some nice gluten-free frozen pie crusts available. You can bake the pie crust the night before to keep the kitchen cooler.

Wash, stem, and dry 4 1/2 to 5 cups of fresh strawberries.  Reserve 2 cups of the nicest berries and arrange them whole in the baked pie shell.

Mash the other half of the berries and put in a saucepan.  In a small bowl or cup, mix together 1 1/2 T. cornstarch and 1/3 c. sugar (Splenda is okay), and then add  1/4 c. lemon or orange juice. Mix this to get it as smooth as possible. Add the cornstarch mixture to the mashed berries in the saucepan and  cook over moderate heat, stirring until the mixture comes to a boil and becomes thick and translucent.  You need to stir and you need to watch it so you don’t get any lumps.  Yes, you will be standing over a hot stove, but only for a few minutes.Pour the cooled glaze over the strawberries in the pie pan. Chill in the fridge.

You can use other kinds of fresh fruit instead of strawberries.  Or create combinations, like sliced peaches with strawberries, or sliced nectarines with raspberries.

So far, this is a pretty healthy dessert, but if you want something more decadent, serve with whipped cream or even chocolate sauce on the side!

By Randa Dubnick

Image is “Digital Strawberries” by Randa Dubnick.  All rights reserved