Recipe: The LA Times Test Kitchen’s Strawberry Pie

Strawberry Pie

(From Noelle Carter of the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen. Copyright ©2012, Los Angeles Times)

Sometimes the best summer fruit pies are the ones in which the fruit isn’t cooked at all; it’s just piled high in a pie shell and coated with a beautiful glaze. Strawberries are a perfect example. As wonderful as they are cooked, strawberries can lose their vibrant color and end up with a mushy texture. Fresh strawberries are enticingly bright and vibrant, full of flavor.

To emphasize that, I toss fresh strawberries in a glaze combining fresh orange juice and rum steeped with a little mint as it cooks. I use cornstarch to thicken, adding enough to the glaze to give the berries a nice sheen without making them gummy. Chill the pie for a few hours to allow the glaze to set up, then serve. One bite and your mouth is hit with the fresh harmony of strawberry flavor complemented by bright notes of orange and rum, and a cool hint of mint. Perfect for even a blistering hot summer day.

Total time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time

Servings: Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water, divided

1/2 cup orange juice, from about 1 large orange

1/2 cup rum

1 sprig mint

3 tablespoons cornstarch

8 cups strawberries, about 2 1/2 pounds, hulled

1 baked 9-inch single pie crust (see below)

1. In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, stir together the sugar, one-half cup water, the orange juice and the rum. Gently crush the sprig of mint in your hand to release the oils, and place the mint in the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes, and continue to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to marry the flavors. Remove from heat.

2. While the liquid is coming to a simmer, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining one-half cup water to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the pan, then heat the pan over medium-low heat and cook until the liquid thickens (it should just begin to bubble), 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and discard the mint sprig.

3. Arrange the strawberries in the prepared crust. Pour the thickened filling over the berries, then refrigerate the pie 3 to 4 hours to set the filling.

Each of 8 servings: 338 calories; 4 grams protein; 46 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 13 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 19 mg. cholesterol; 22 grams sugar; 222 mg. sodium.

Pie Crust

Total time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time

Servings: This makes enough crust for 1 (9- to 10-inch) pie

Note: The cider vinegar is used to help “shorten” the crust, improving the texture. Though you might smell the vinegar as you roll out the crust, you should not taste or smell it in the finished pie.

Single crust

11/2 cups (6.4 ounces) flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons cold shortening

5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

11/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, more if needed

1 egg or egg white, for an egg wash, if desired

1. To make the dough using a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar until thoroughly combined. Add the shortening and pulse until incorporated (the dough will look like moist sand). Add the butter and pulse just until the butter is reduced to small, pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the vinegar and water over the mixture, and pulse once or twice until incorporated. Remove the crumbly mixture to a large bowl and gently press the mixture together with a large spoon, rubber spatula or the palm of your hand just until it comes together to form a dough. Mold the dough into a disc roughly 6 inches in diameter. Cover the disc tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

To make the dough by hand, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the shortening and incorporate using a pastry cutter or fork (the dough will look like moist sand). Cut in the butter just until it is reduced to small, pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the vinegar and water over the mixture, and stir together just until incorporated. Gently press the crumbly mixture together with a large spoon, rubber spatula or the palm of your hand just until it comes together to form a dough. Mold the dough into a disc roughly 6 inches in diameter. Cover the disc tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a round roughly 13 to 14 inches in diameter. Place in a 9- to 10-inch baking dish, trimming any excess and crimping the edges as desired. (One trick I use is to roll out the dough onto well-floured parchment or wax paper, invert and center the pie dish over the dough and then flip the dough into the dish.) Brush the outer edge of the shell with the egg wash, then freeze the formed shell for 20 to 30 minutes before filling and baking.

3. If prebaking (or blind-baking) the crust, line the shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, then remove the weights and foil, prick the sides and bottom several times with a fork and continue baking until the bottom of the crust is dry and lightly colored, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Double crust

3 cups (12.75 ounces) flour

11/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

6 to 8 tablespoons ice water, more if needed

Filling

1 egg or egg white, for an egg wash, as desired

Sugar, for sprinkling, if desired

1. To make the dough using a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar until thoroughly combined. Add the shortening and pulse until incorporated (the dough will look like moist sand). Add the butter and pulse just until the butter is reduced to small, pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the vinegar and water over the mixture, and pulse once or twice until incorporated. Remove the crumbly mixture to a large bowl and gently press the mixture together with a large spoon, rubber spatula or the palm of your hand just until it comes together to form a dough. Mold the dough into a disc roughly 6 inches in diameter. Cover the disc tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

To make the dough by hand, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the shortening and incorporate using a pastry cutter or fork (the dough will look like moist sand). Cut in the butter just until it is reduced to small, pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the vinegar and water over the mixture, and stir together just until incorporated. Gently press the crumbly mixture together with a large spoon, rubber spatula or the palm of your hand just until it comes together to form a dough. Mold the dough into a disc roughly 6 inches in diameter. Cover the disc tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

2. Halve the dough, keeping the second half refrigerated as you work on the first half.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough out into a round roughly 13 to 14 inches in diameter. Place in a 9- to 10-inch baking dish, trimming any excess so the edge of the crust meets the edge of the pan. (One trick I use is to roll out the dough onto well-floured parchment or wax paper, invert and center the pie dish over the dough and then flip the dough into the dish.)

4. Fill the pie as desired and brush the edge of the crust with the egg wash or water, then refrigerate the pie as you roll out the second dough half.

5. Roll the second dough half as you did the first. Remove the pie from the refrigerator, and center the top half over the filling. Press the top crust along the egg wash-brushed edge of the bottom crust to seal, then trim the excess top crust so that it extends from the edge of the pie plate by one-half inch. Fold this edge and tuck it under the bottom crust to seal the crust completely. Crimp the edges as desired. Brush the top crust with the egg wash, and sprinkle over sugar if desired. Slit the top crust to create vents for the filling as it bakes.

6. Refrigerate the formed shell for 20 to 30 minutes before baking.