Strawberry Pie

Although strawberries are sold year around at the grocery store, they are especially sweet and juicy this time of the year. To take advantage of their ripeness, fiance and I decided to make a strawberry pie. I'm a huge pie lover in general because I love the flaky, buttery, heart attack inducing crust, but I especially love strawberry pie because the summery, fresh taste of the strawberries pairs very well and lightens up the delicate richness of the crust. In this recipe, half of the strawberries are mashed and cooked up to produce a syrup which is then poured over the remaining fresh strawberries arranged in a pre-cooked pie shell. I adapted this recipe from Allrecipes, but I substituted cornstarch for tapioca starch since cornstarch produces a cloudier syrup which leaves a pink glaze over the pie, whereas tapioca starch is clear when cooked and results in a clear, red glaze.

Recipe:
Adapted from Allrecipes

1 recipe for 9 inch pie shell, baked and cooled (see below for mine)
1.5 pounds of fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoon tapioca starch
2/3 cup water

Direction:
1. Wash, hull, and dry strawberries. Separate the prettier ones from the too overripe/underripe/ugly ones, and place the prettier ones in a single layer in the pie shell, pointy side facing up.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, mash the remaining strawberries with the sugar. Cook until bubbly and liquidy.
3. Dissolve the tapioca starch with water and gently whisk into pan.
4. Turn the heat to high, and stir a few minutes until bubbly and thickened. Remove and set aside to cool.
5. Once cooled, pour over the pie and let sit in refrigerator for a few hours until chilled.

Recipe for pie crust:
Ingredients:
1.25 cup flour
1/2 cup shortening
2 Tablespoon butter
2-4 Tablespoon ice water

Directions:
1. In a bowl, cut shortening and butter into flour mixture. Gradually add the water, a few drops at a time, until the mixture can be held together when squeezed.
2. Wrap in saran wrap and press into a flat disc. Refrigerate 20 minutes
3. Roll between 2 wax sheets until the dough is about 12 inches in diameter. Place over 9 inch pie plate. Trim the edges and pleat if desired
4. Cover with foil and weights (such as rice or dry beans). Bake in 400 F preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until golden brown, about 8 more minutes