Monday, March 16, 2015

Fruity Goodness

Last year, my husband and I went berry picking on a u-pick farm for the first time. Well, it was my first time, not his, and I did get an ear-full about how in the world I could have turned thirty without ever picking my own berries fresh from a field. Welp, I admit it. I’m a city girl with a pathetic lack of familiarity with unprocessed fruit and vegetables. He’s lucky when I can tell a peach from a plum…

Anyway, we picked about 6 lbs of strawberries, and as we unloaded them at home, I asked him what the heck we were going to do with that many berries.

Photo by F Delventhal, available under a CC BY 2.0 on Flickr


“Why don’t you make a strawberry pie?” he suggested.

To which I replied with some drooled comment or the other. Strawberry pie! Oh, the yummy, fruity goodness.

Hailing from Germany, we make fruit pies a little differently from the ones I’ve seen here in the US. The bottom is a lot fluffier than the standard pie crust used here, which makes for the special taste, and we use clear glaze on top instead of some icing or whipped cream. I’m sure this is not an originally German recipe, and I imagine you can find pies like this in lots of other European countries too, but this is the kind of fruit pie I’ve grown up with in Germany, anyway.

I’ve actually managed to find a good version of the recipe for American measurements on Kraft Recipes:

Photo by Betsy Weber, available under a CC BY 2.0 on Flickr


Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups  flour
1/3 cup  packed brown sugar
2/3 cup  cold butter, cut up
3/4 cup  granulated sugar, divided
1 Tbsp.  cornstarch
1 pkg.  (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1/2 cup  water
1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp.  orange zest
1 cup  thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
2 cups  fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

HEAT oven to 350°F.

MIX flour and brown sugar in medium bowl until blended. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; knead with hands to form ball. Press onto bottom and up side of 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 15 min. or until golden brown; cool completely.

MEANWHILE, bring 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, dry gelatin mix and water to boil in saucepan, stirring occasionally; cook and stir 2 min. Cool 20 min.

BEAT cream cheese, remaining granulated sugar and zest in large bowl with mixer until blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP; spread onto bottom of crust. Top with berries and gelatin glaze. Refrigerate 3 hours or until chilled. Run knife around tart to loosen from rim of pan; remove rim.

So with the strawberry season coming up, why not go pick some strawberries fresh from the field and make this delicious pie? I know I will.


What is your favorite pie? Let me know in the comments.

6 comments:

Judith Ashley said...

Chocolate peanut butter cream pie! I've had various versions but the only one that I drool over is Betty's version. Since The Spouting Horn restaurant in Depoe Bay has closed, that pie is no longer available. I enjoyed it for over forty years so I've memories!

Unknown said...

Oooooh, that sounds delicious, Judith! I think I might have just drooled a little on my screen... Too bad that particular version of the pie is no longer available, or I would have made a trip to Depoe Bay someday. ;)

Diana McCollum said...

I would have to say my very favorite (because I like a lot of different kinds of pie) is Pecan Pie. Your recipe sounds delicious!

Unknown said...

Diana, I love Pecan Pie too! First ate that kind of pie here in the US. We don't really have it in Germany.

Pippa Jay said...

Mmm, that looks yummy, and I'm sure my little monsters will approve. We go strawberry picking in the summer, something I've done all my life but that was a new experience for my husband. My personal favourite is Key Lime Pie, prepared by my husband. Sweet and sharp, and technically more of a cheesecake than a pie, but I cheated since it has pie in the name, lol.

Sarah Raplee said...

Picking berries is so much fun! My kids always loved doing this.

My favorite pie is blueberry.

Thank you for the recipe, Nadine.