This fresh and easy Strawberry Pie is loaded with summertime berries, homemade strawberry glaze, and a flaky homemade crust. The scratch crust comes together quickly and will stay flaky, even with the juicy strawberries. When you are short on time, feel free to use a store-bought crust, but if you can, give this crust a try.
Fresh Strawberry Pie: The Backstory
A family cookbook of treasured recipes
Emma Handke was a baker and a chef. She baked plenty of treats for the people of her small town of Atchison, Kansas. ( want to learn more about this picturesque small town? Click here) What she was known and remembered for though, was her Fresh Strawberry Pie.
I was lucky enough to have this recipe shared with me by her granddaughter. I listened to her talk about her grandmother, and her memories of being in her grandmother’s kitchen and describing her strong bakers’ arms. It made me think of my own grandmother. (She is the reason I love to bake). I wonder how many of us are bakers because someone baked something nice for us? And how many of us will be grandmas and grandpas that inspire young people to love baking one day too?
A New Kind of Crust
I followed Emma Handke’s recipe exactly, even though I have a pie crust recipe that I already love. Its a combination of butter and shortening and uses vodka to add more moisture and flakiness. If you’d like to check that out the link is here.
Is it better than my own recipe?
Let me tell you, you can still teach an old dog, new tricks. I love her pie crust! It is all shortening and has an egg and vinegar in it. By far the most tender crust I have baked. and it really holds its shape.
One thing to note, however, is that her recipe was for a larger batch of dough. I’ve scaled it down but the measurements are a little awkward. This recipe will make enough pie crust to fill a large deep-dish pie plate. If you’re using a smaller pie dish, just discard the remaining dough. ( or better yet- toss the scraps in cinnamon sugar and bake them as pie dough sticks. My kids love them!)
Ingredients You’ll Need for The Crust
- Shortening-1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp
- All-Purpose Flour- 1.5 cups
- Salt- 1/2 tsp
- Ice Water- 2.5 Tbsp
- Vinegar-/2 tsp
- Egg- 1/2
Mixing The Crust
You can use either a hand held pastry cutter or you can mix this in a Kitchen Aid Mixer with the paddle attachment.
Measure the flour and salt into your bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour until you have chunks the size of peas.
In a separate measuring container, mix the vinegar, ice water and egg. ( to add half an egg, just beat an egg and divide it in half.) Stir in into the flour by hand until combined.
Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and kneed 2-3 times to combine everything.
Form the crust into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Shaping and Blind Baking the Crust
Roll out the pastry and place it in your pie plate. Crimp the edges in an attractive way.
Blind bake the pie shell by lining it with foil and pie weights or dry beans. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and allow shell to cool.
Fresh Strawberry Pie: the Filling
Ingredients you’ll need for the filling
- Fresh cleaned and cut berries- 4 cups
- Granulated Sugar-1 cup
- Cornstarch-3 Tbsp
- Water- 1 cup
- Strawberry Jello- 3 Tbsp
- Red Food Coloring-2 drops
Instructions for making the filling
Clean 4 cups of berries and set aside about a dozen of the biggest and reddest berries. Cut the stems off and then cut them in half. Cut the remainder into bite-sized pieces.
Combine the sugar, water, cornstarch and jello. Cook over medium heat until mixture is thick and bubbly. Set aside and allow to cool.
Assembling your Fresh Strawberry Pie
Assemble the pie by filling the crust with the cut berries. Pour a little glaze over each layer as you fill the pie.
For the top layer, place the large half berries concentrically around the top. Pour the remaining glaze over the top of the pie.
Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.
Whipped Topping ( optional)
If you want to top your pie with fresh whipped cream, just mix this up and top your pie with whipped cream before serving.
In your mixer with a whip attachment or using a hand mixer, whip the cream and powdered sugar on medium-high until it begins to thicken. Add vanilla and instant pudding. Continue whipping until the mixture thickens.
Immediately dollop the whipped cream onto the top of the pie. ( or use a pastry bag and star tip to decorate the top.)
Chill until ready to serve.
Whipped Topping Ingredients
Heavy Cream-1/2 cup
Powdered Sugar-1/4 cup
Vanilla-1/2 tsp
Instant Vanilla Pudding-1 Tbsp
Fresh Strawberry Pie
This fresh and easy Strawberry Pie is loaded with summertime berries and homemade strawberry glaze.
Ingredients
- Crust
- Shortening 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp
- All-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- VInegar 1/2 tsp
- Ice water 2.5 Tbsp
- Egg 1/2
- Filling
- Strawberries 4 cups
- Cornstarch 4 Tbsp
- Water 1 cup
- Strawberry Jello 2 Tbsp
- Red food coloring 2 drops
- Whipped Topping ( Optional)
- Heavy Cream 1/2 cup
- Powdered Sugar 1/4 cup
- Vanilla 1/2 tsp
Directions
- Step 1 Measure the flour and salt into your bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour until you have chunks the size of peas.
- Step 2 In a separate measuring container, mix the vinegar, ice water and egg. ( to add half an egg, just beat an egg and divide it in half.) Stir in into the flour by hand until combined.
- Step 3 Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and kneed 2-3 times to combine everything.
- Step 4 Form the crust into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Step 5 Roll out the pastry and place it in your pie plate. Crimp the edges in an attractive way.
- Step 6 Blind bake the pie shell by lining it with foil and pie weights or dry beans. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and allow shell to cool.
- Step 7 Clean 4 cups of berries and set aside about a dozen of the biggest and reddest berries. Cut the stems off and then cut them in half. Cut the remainder into bite-sized pieces.
- Step 8 Combine the sugar, water, cornstarch and jello. Cook over medium heat until mixture is thick and bubbly. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Step 9 Assemble the pie by filling the crust with the cut berries. Pour a little glaze over each layer as you fill the pie.
- Step 10 For the top layer, place the large half berries concentrically around the top. Pour the remaining glaze over the top of the pie.
- Step 11 Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.
- Step 12 If you want to top your pie with fresh whipped cream, just mix this up in your mixer with a whip attachment, or you can use a hand mixer.
- Step 13 Whip the cream and powdered sugar on medium-high until it begins to thicken. Add vanilla and instant pudding. Continue whipping until the mixture thickens.
- Step 14 Immediately dollop the whipped cream onto the top of the pie. ( or use a pastry bag and star tip to decorate the top.)
- Step 15 Chill until ready to serve.
If you are looking for more strawberry recipes to try, check out my Strawberry Crumble Bars, or my First Place Strawberry Shortcake Pie
