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This was the first year (2024) that I grew enough strawberries to eat and have extras to freeze-dry.  We are lucky enough to have a small store down the road from us that usually has seasonal fruits and vegetables.  This year their strawberries were exceptionally nice so I will be freeze-drying some of theirs as well.  You can use a bought crust for this pie but our recipe is so easy, and it doesn't have to be perfectly round.  Make this style of pie just once and you will be hooked!!

 

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Crust Ingredients:

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Every bit of this crust is flaky and delicious.  Unlike regular pie crust

 

 

where the crimped edge is usually left on the plate.

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•  All-purpose flour: Simple, right?  Make sure the flour you are using is

 

 

    fresh. It's easy to tell by the smell.

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•  Sugar

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•  Salt: Preferably Sea or kosher salt.

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•  Unsalted butter: Make sure it is cold, cold, cold.  After cutting into cubes,

 

   

    (or grating), put in freezer for a few minutes.

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•  Ice water: Although the recipe says 3 tablespoons, almost always it takes

 

 

    a little more.  And make sure it is cold!  I like to drizzle in the water while

 

 

    using a large fork to shape and make a rough ball.

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Filling Ingredients

 

 

•  Strawberries: Use the freshest and plumpest berries that you can find.  You

 

 

    can also use apples, peaches, cherries, or blackberries.

 

 

•  Cornstarch: I use cornstarch instead of flour because you need less and it

 

 

    makes the filling more palatable.

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•  Sugar   

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•  Lemon: Not much, but necessary

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•  Cinnamon: Fresh is best!

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Start with capped strawberries and mix with the other filling ingredients.  If

 

 

the strawberries are the size of a quarter or less, I leave them whole.

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Pour the strawberries into the crust; arrange them if necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fold the crust over the edge of the strawberries.  You can do it into neat folds

 

 

or randomly as I've done here.  I prefer the more rustic look.

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The juices ran over in this pie, but once it cools a little, the pie will be easy to

 

 

slice and the pieces will remove easily.  The parchment paper helps with

 

 

that.  That's why I love this style of pie!

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Ingredients

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Crust:

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​•  1¼ cups plain flour

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•  1 Tbsp sugar

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•  1 tsp salt

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•  8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

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•  3 Tbsp ice water (depending on the weather, it normally takes more)

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Filling:

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•  4 to 5 cups fresh strawberries, washed and spread on towel to dry.

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    Cut into halves or thirds if large.

 

•  ½ cup sugar

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•  4 Tbsp cornstarch (¼ cup)

 

•  ¼ tsp cinnamon (optional, but good)

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You will need a baking sheet and parchment paper.*

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Instructions

 

 

1.   Crust:  In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt**.  Toss the

 

 

     butter cubes with the and cut in with a pastry cutter until the butter

 

 

     is the size of small peas.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the

 

 

     mixture and fold with a spatula adding more water if needed until

 

 

     the mixture, when pressed together, forms a rough ball.  Do not

 

 

     overmix.  Form dough into a 6-inch disc; wrap in plastic wrap and

 

 

     chill  about 20 minutes.  Remove from chilling, roll on parchment

 

 

     sheet until 13-inches in diameter.  Make filling.

  

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2.  Preheat oven to 425°F. 

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3.  Filling:  In a large bowl, mix together the corn starch, sugar and

 

 

     nutmeg.  Add the berries and fold to coat with the dry mixture. 

 

 

     Place crust (leave on parchment) on sheet pan.  Place filling in the

 

 

     center, leaving about 3 inches of dough uncovered on all sides. 

 

 

     Fold that dough up over the fruit all the way around while creating

 

 

     rustic pleats. Place the pie on a middle rack in the preheated oven. 

 

 

     Bake for 15 minutes; lower heat to 375°F and continue baking for an

 

 

     additional 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  Remove

 

 

     from oven; cool completely before serving.

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  *After rolling the crust on parchment, it can be fitted into a large pie

 

 

    pan, leaving the parchment to make it easier to remove and

 

 

    slice after cooling.

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**This crust can also be made in your food processor.

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