My daughter has an intense love of baking and cooking (I'm quite proud), and at one point really latched onto the idea of making a strawberry pie. In looking through my Grandma's cookbook, I found an interesting recipe for "Hollyhock House Strawberry Pie," and we decided to riff on it. I wanted a bolder strawberry flavor, so I added a bit of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of black pepper to make the strawberries really pop. We also wanted it to be beautiful, so we experimented with beetroot powder. This produced a perfect "princess pink" color, which delighted my daughter, and will hopefully do the same for you as well. If you need a recipe for homemade pie crust, this is the one I use: Pie Crust for Anything.
I really like this pie because you don't need a ton of strawberries to make it work, and the texture is so fluffy and light, but also rich. I hate cream pies that leave me feeling unsatisfied in flavor and mouthfeel. It also only takes about 15 minutes to whip up the filling, and then you can just set it in the fridge to cool. It's a really fun pie for Valentine's Day, Easter, or a late summer celebration when the strawberries are booming.
Notes
- Timing: I like to make the pie crust the day before because it needs to be fully baked and cooled before making the filling. If you do, you can just cover the crust lightly with plastic wrap and leave it on your counter overnight.
- Egg Whites: Like many recipes from decades past, this one includes raw, whipped egg whites that are folded in. It's perfectly safe to eat, but it will not have a long life. I recommend consuming the pie in 2-3 days, and always be sure to keep it refrigerated.
Storage
Store the entire pie in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Grace Says:
To make shiny, glazed strawberries as a decoration, just microwave a little apricot or strawberry jelly for about 10 seconds to loosen it (don't cook it!). Then dip whole strawberries into the liquified jelly and be sure to coat all sides. Place them on a piece of parchment paper for a few minutes to set, and then pop them on top of your cake or other dessert. They'll look like they're out of a fairytale.
📖 Recipe
Lala's Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9" pie shell, fully baked and cooled
- 16 oz strawberries, cored and cut into chunks
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon beetroot powder (optional)
- 1 Tbl unflavored gelatin, or 1 0.3 oz packet
- ¼ cup cold water
- ½ cup hot water
- 2 egg whites
- ½ cup cream
Instructions
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water, and allow it to sit for a few minutes to bloom and soften. Then pour the hot water on top of the gelatin and stir to mix. Set aside to cool.
- Partially mash the strawberry chunks to release some of the juice. Then stir the sugar, salt, pepper, beetroot powder, and balsamic vinegar into the strawberries. Set aside.
- Mix the gelatin and water into the strawberry mixture and stir well. Then set the filling in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes, until partially set. It will be a bit thicker, especially around the edges, but it's ok if it's still kind of liquid.
- Whip the egg whites until stiff. Then gently fold the egg whites and cream into the partially set strawberry mixture until no streaks remain. Pour the completed filling into your prepared pie shell and refrigerate until fully set, at least 3 hours.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!