Strawberry Cream Pie

Spring Break!  We have had the most glorious break from school, work, snow..........all those hard things:)  But now it's back to real life.  I had good intentions of blogging last week, but I'm afraid that went to the wayside as well.  

Today's recipe is a repeat.  I posted it last year, and I think it was by far one of the favorites of the whole year.  I make these pies every year for the annual Paradise Lion's Club Easter Egg Hunt.  There's a bake sale that we all participate in.  I was shocked to hear what people paid for these pies this year, and I feel a little guilty.  It goes to a great cause, so people are just being ultra generous, but folks here's the recipe.  That way you can make one at home for next to nothing, and make the yummy sound the whole time you're eating it, and not feel like every bite was a dollar spent:)  Thanks though to those that bought stuff at the bake sale.  It was a huge success!

This pie would be lovely for Mother's Day or Father's Day.  My dad LOVED eating the leftovers yesterday after church.  It really is tasty, and super easy to make.  Enjoy!

My Favorite Pie Crust Recipe

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c shortening

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt 

1 egg

1/4-1/3 c. water

1 T. vinegar

3 T. cornstarch

Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar.  Cut in shortening.  I actually like to use Manteca Lard  a lot of the times.  My sisters friend Makita gave us this tip a few years ago and it make delicious pie crust!  Mix egg, cold water, and vinegar.  Blend into flour mixture until it forms a ball.  Try to handle the dough as little as possible.  Makes 4 single pie crusts.  I always make the whole recipe.  If I have dough left over I just plop the dough ball into a Ziploc and put it into the freezer.  All you have to do is thaw and roll when needed.  

For the Strawberry Pie you need to blind bake the crust.  That's just prebaking.  I usually roll out the crust and crimp the edges and then put another pie pan on top of the crust to bake.  That keeps the dough from slipping down the pie pan.  Bake at 375 for about 15-20 mins. or until browned.

Cream Filling

This is pretty much just a no bake cheesecake.  

1 8oz. cube cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2-3 c. of cream whipped and sweetened

2-3 c. of vanilla pudding (I make homemade if I'm feeling spunky, or make the cooked Jello kind.  I usually use 1/2 c. less milk than is what called for to make a thicker pudding.  Instant pudding doesn't work so well.)

Beat the cream cheese and condensed milk together until completely smooth.  Gently fold in the whipped cream and pudding.  This much cream filling filled 3- 9 inch pies.  Fill each cooled pie shell almost full of cream and then top with fresh berries that have been glazed.

Strawberry Glaze

I use this all the time.  It is so easy and cheap to make.  No need to buy Danish Dessert anymore, but you totally can if you want.

1 c. water

2/3 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. raspberry or strawberry jello powder

pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients and cook until mixture comes to a boil.  Cool and add to fresh berries for a beautiful glaze.

I used about 1 1/2 lbs. of strawberries for each pie.  I like the berries whole or just cut in half.  I don't add a ton of the glaze.  Just enough to cover all the berries and then pile them as high as you can on top of the cream filling.  You need to eat the pie the same day.  It looks terrible the next day, but it tastes divine still.  

Strawberry Cream Pie

Every year for Easter our little family is involved in the Paradise Lion's Club Annual Easter Egg Hunt.  First off let me just say.............."I hate Easter Egg Hunts!"  They stress me out.  It all started when I was a teenager.  I remember going with my youngest brother to an Easter Egg hunt in St. George and watching the kid struggle to find one stinking egg.  I hate ruthless mothers that are boxing out the competition, and have the mentality of a soldier in combat during the race.  I remember wanting to scream, "Stop!!!  Can my poor little brother just find one egg?"  The competition is just way too fierce for a lovely spring morning.  Now that that is off my chest, on to the Paradise hunt.  It's the same.  I just don't look.  Actually my kids are old enough now they don't care.   They get to hide all the eggs for the different age groups now and that's their fun.  And maybe it's that I tend to over compensate for their lack of egg finding skills with our hunt at home. You know everyone gets the same amount of eggs and candy and toys and clothes and................you get the idea.

Before the hunt can start every year though there is a bake sale.  All the wives of the Lions bring their best Easter treats and the hunt can't start until all goodies have been purchased.  When James joined the Lions Club years ago there was a little old lady in town that would bring two Lemon Meringue Pies to the sale first thing every year.  There were always people waiting to grab the pies before they even made it into the fire station.  Dear Sister P doesn't make the pies anymore.  She's still alive, but the pies are a bit too much now a days.  The pies always brought in the most money from the bake sale.  I don't do a very good Lemon Meringue.  They tend to weep, but I make a mean Strawberry Cream Pie.  I've taken other pies in years past,  but it's all about the presentation.  Who can resist a bright red Strawberry Pie piled ten feet high.  Nobody!  They were snarfed up in minutes and brought a pretty penny for the cause.  One of the men who bought a pie actually called Sat. afternoon to tell James that the pie was the best he'd ever had.  I'm sure it wasn't, but that sure made this chubby little pregnant ladies day.

So it's strawberry season, and there is nothing prettier on the planet than a Strawberry Pie.   We like to have a cream filling first and then a huge pile of strawberries on top.  It's the best of both worlds.  Side note here and hopefully it's not too graphic.  It will gross my brother Marc out but oh well.  James had a dream the other day that he rented a big white tent and he set it up in my strawberry patch and we had this baby there.   We had a great laugh!  Trust me........if such a thing ever happened I'd at least have her middle name be Strawberry.  Wouldn't that be adorable.  Truly Strawberry Clawson!  She's going to be scrumptious no matter what I'm sure.  Sorry for the graphic image.  Enjoy your pie!!

My Favorite Pie Crust Recipe

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c shortening

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt 

1 egg

1/4-1/3 c. water

1 T. vinegar

3 T. cornstarch

Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar.  Cut in shortening.  I actually like to use Manteca Lard  a lot of the times.  My sisters friend Makita gave us this tip a few years ago and it make delicious pie crust!  Mix egg, cold water, and vinegar.  Blend into flour mixture until it forms a ball.  Try to handle the dough as little as possible.  Makes 4 single pie crusts.  I always make the whole recipe.  If I have dough left over I just plop the dough ball into a Ziploc and put it into the freezer.  All you have to do is thaw and roll when needed.  

For the Strawberry Pie you need to blind bake the crust.  That's just prebaking.  I usually roll out the crust and crimp the edges and then put another pie pan on top of the crust to bake.  That keeps the dough from slipping down the pie pan.  Bake at 375 for about 15-20 mins. or until browned.

Cream Filling

This is pretty much just a no bake cheesecake.  

1 8oz. cube cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2-3 c. of cream whipped and sweetened

2 c. of vanilla pudding (instant is fine or homemade)

Beat the cream cheese and condensed milk together until completely smooth.  Gently fold in the whipped cream and pudding.  This much cream filling filled 3- 9 inch pies.  Fill each cooled pie shell almost full of cream and then top with fresh berries.

Strawberry Glaze

I use this all the time.  It is so easy and cheap to make.  No need to buy Danish Dessert anymore.

1 c. water

2/3 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. raspberry or strawberry jello powder

pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients and cook until mixture comes to a boil.  Cool and add to fresh berries for a beautiful glaze.

I used about 1 1/2 lbs. of strawberries for each pie.  I like the berries whole or just cut in half.  I don't add a ton of the glaze.  Just enough to cover all the berries and then pile them as high as you can on top of the cream filling.  You need to eat the pie the same day.  It looks terrible the next day, but it tastes divine still.  

Easter!

Yummy White Chocolate Marshmallow Popcorn,  beautiful spring Emma with a bouquet of the first signs of Spring in Avon- Curly Jacks, Orange Rolls my personal fave, Gingersnap Fruit Pizza, Dilly Rolls, Creme Brulee Berry Pie AKA "Navine Pie- Oh My!"I think this is my Granny's favorite thing on the planet, Chinese Pork Roast James' favorite Sunday dinner, Scones, Potato Fennel and Leek Gratin, Sheet Pan Sugar CookiesThanks Colette, Curly Jacks, Joshy Bake!

So what are you doing for Easter?  That is the question.  I asked it this morning on our early morning run, and found everyone was doing something a little special.  A lot of ham in the picture, as well as a lot of Easter egg hunts.  We are headed down to Grandma G's house this year, but still I felt the desire to fix something a little special.  My neighbor Colette was making brunch.  I  thought that was a fantastic idea.  You can have your ham, but also your favorite breakfast fare, and of course desserts.  That's the good thing about brunch.  You can't quite get away with having dessert after breakfast, but you certainly can have a big slice of Key Lime Pie or something after brunch.  I believe brunch has now just become my favorite meal.  I need to have it more often.

I'm in charge of the Orange Rolls Sunday, and I'm sure we'll have many other different things.  One extra special treat is a brand new nephew.  My brother Josh and his wife Katie just had a beautiful little boy this morning.  Katie was only 3 1/2 weeks ahead of me, but she decided to have him about 5 1/2 weeks early.  All is well.  He's  5lbs. 14 oz. and 19 inches long.  That's about what my full term babies are.  So guess what?  Out of 6 cousins to be expecting last Christmas at our annual Garner Christmas party...............I'm next!!!!!   But I'll keep cooking this little babe at least 7 more weeks.  We don't want a doughy baby as James put it the other night.  But Congratulations to my brother and his family!  And here's some links to some recipes that might just be fantastic for Easter!!  Love and Kisses!  PS click here for a great Easter message from Mormon Messages.  Don't you just love them!