A few years ago my friend Debbie shared a recipe for a very simple, refreshing strawberry pie called Springtime Strawberry Pie. Made with strawberry purée, egg yolks, whipped cream and unflavored gelatin, the filling is light and fluffy and falls somewhere between a chiffon and a Bavarian cream. I've made the pie a few times now and love it for its simplicity and versatility.
Egg Yolks and Plain Gelatin
This strawberry pie is simple, but it combines a few classic dessert techniques. A cooked egg yolk custard gives the pie richness, while a small amount of unflavored gelatin helps it set without becoming stiff or rubbery. I feel like the recipe might have evolved from a Knox pamphlet because the original amount of gelatin, one packet, is on the high side. Just 1 ½ teaspoons is plenty, but if you like stiffer pies you can use more.
Here's a photo of the before I attempted to decorate.
Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
The pie celebrates Spring and its fruits, but honestly -- frozen strawberries are perfect here. First, they're convenient. But second, when thawed they release their juice so you get concentrated strawberries to purée and a big side of juice you can use for other things (like reducing to a syrup). So I recommend using frozen strawberries. And by frozen, I mean store-bought or fresh ones that you froze at their peak of ripeness then thawed. For garnishing, fresh ones always look better, but sometimes we have to use what we've got!
Plain, Pretzel Crust
The original recipe from The Culinary Cellar calls for baked pastry crust, which works perfectly. I've tried different crusts and favor a salty pretzel crust because it's a little quicker than pastry and I love the salty & sweet combination. Use whatever type crust you like, and if you don't want to bother making it the Keebler elves have you covered.
How to Boost Strawberry Flavor
This pie has 1 cup of strawberry puree, and with the added lemon juice and vanilla, you get a mild but pleasing strawberry flavor. You can boost it by adding ¼ to ½ teaspoon of strawberry extract if you'd like. I haven't tried this yet, but next time I make it I'm going to try adding a little freeze dried strawberry powder. But if you don't have the strawberry extract or feel like seeking out dried strawberry powder, the 1 cup of puree plus lemon and vanilla should be enough flavor.
Serving and Storing
The pie should slice after a good 4 hours, but will slice even neater if you let it set longer. It's also good on day 2, so you can make it ahead if you need to. If making ahead, garnish shortly before serving. And the pie definitely freezes well. After serving, freeze any remaining pie, cut frozen pie into triangles, then store the frozen triangles in a freezer bag. To serve it from frozen, just plate triangles and thaw in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Individual slices thaw pretty quickly thanks to the gelatin.
Recipe
Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch baked pastry, graham or pretzel crust
Filling
- ½ cup whole milk (120 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 cup puréed strawberries (240 grams)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon strawberry extract, optional
- 1-2 drops red food coloring
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Optional Garnish
- ½ cup whipped cream plus 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ cup reserved whole strawberries for garnishing
Instructions
- Put the milk and sugar in a saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Allow it to soften for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks together in a medium size bowl and set next to the stove.
- Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, whisking to dissolve gelatin and sugar.
- Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, then pour mixture back into the saucepan and whisk over medium low heat for about 2-3 minutes or until thick and bubbly.
- Remove from heat pour into a mixing bowl. Stir in puréed strawberries, extract, lemon juice and a drop or two of red food coloring so it will be a pretty shade of pink. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for about two hours or until mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon. Do not allow it to fully set. You'll want to check it and give it a stir about every 40 minutes.
- Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks just barely start to form, then fold together with the strawberry mixture. Spoon into the pie crust and chill at least 4 hours or until set.
- Before serving, whip more cream and sugar to pipe around the edges. Garnish with more strawberries.
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