Strawberry Pie

I have been baking a lot lately, haven't I?  So fun.  I needed to make some pies yesterday to take to a BBQ.  I had a container of the most gorgeous strawberries you ever have seen.  So, strawberry pie was the obvious choice.  I had frozen some extra pie dough the other day, when I was making these.  So, I pulled it out of the freezer and let it thaw.  Then I rolled it out and shaped it into a pie crust.  I baked it at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes until it was golden brown.  Don't forget to generously prick it with a fork to avoid air bubbles!

For the filling you will need to mash up some of your berries. Wash and hull a big handful.  Give them a rough chop on a cutting board.

Then mash them with a fork or a potato masher and measure out one cup.

 In a medium sized saucepan, pour one cup of sugar and three tablespoons of cornstarch.  Stir it up.

Then add the mashed strawberries and 1/2 cup of water.  Stir.

Cook on medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add one teaspoon of vanilla.  You may add a few drops of red food coloring as an option.  Allow your filling to cool.

Slice the remaining strawberries and arrange in your pie shell.  You could leave them whole if you wanted to, but I find it easier to cut the pie if they are sliced.  Whatevs--it's up to you!

Pour the strawberry filling over the top.  Refrigerate for about three hours.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

I took this pie to a potluck  BBQ yesterday, so I wasn't able to get a picture of it all sliced up and served on a beautiful plate.  But, I'm sure you can imagine it.  I adore strawberry pie.  I always wanted to have strawberry pie instead of cake at my wedding.  But then I got married in the dead of winter.  So that didn't work out too well.  But it still is and always will be a favorite!