Strawberries are America’s favorite summer fruit, hands down. Here, a graham-cracker crust holds a luscious strawberry filling topped with swells of sweetened whipped cream. To make the filling sliceable, some of the berries are briefly cooked with a small amount of cornstarch (and cranberry juice, to enhance the color); the rest are stirred in off heat. The result is a pie with a fresh, true strawberry flavor—and all the crumbly, creamy qualities of the best icebox desserts.
Recipe information
Yield
makes one 9-inch pie
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 3/4 cup sugar, the cranberry juice, 2 cups strawberries, the cornstarch, and salt. Using a potato masher, gently mash strawberries. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in remaining sliced strawberries. Pour into baked, cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, 4 hours or, covered with plastic, up to 1 day.
Step 2
In a large chilled bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over cream and continue to beat until soft peaks return (do not overbeat). Spread whipped cream over pie, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around edge. Garnish with reserved whole berries.
