Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Spring!

Spring is here!  And the first thing that comes to mind during this time of year is strawberries.  California has some of the best certified farmers' markets in the country. My favorite one happens to be in Irvine.  I took advantage of the warm weather, and bought 3 pints of strawberries for $5 and a bundle of asparagus.  Both are in season.  To celebrate boyfriend coming home from a long(ish) work trip, I decided to make the usual butternut squash lasagna (it's too pedestrian to even post), and tried making a strawberry pie with a lattice top.

I was a bit scared of making a lattice-top pie.  I'm not a pie officianado.  I don't even want to tackle making a crust yet.  Perhaps one of my friends will show me.

I decided to go simple with the pie.  Here is what I used. Just pre-made pie dough, cornstarch (a thickening agent which makes the strawberry filling more jelly-like rather than liquid), dash of salt, melted butter brushed on top, and sugar...oh, and of course strawberries!


I couldn't get a hand-crimped crust, but I think the lattice was pretty easy to do once you figured it out.  I didn't want to use the easy lattice design, but a real lattice that required folding and weaving.

I also put foil around the edges of the crust to prevent it from browning, but this technique didn't work at all.  Suggestions?

375 in the oven for 45 minutes, and it was done. It is best to try making pies with a glass dish so you can check the bottom to see if it is perfectly browned.

OK, for a first attempt, but soooo tasty because of the strawberry whipped cream (not pictured)

Strawberry whipped cream:

1. Beat 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream with hand mixer until thick
2. Add 2 tbsp. confectioners sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3. Beat until soft peaks form
4. Add 1/2 cup of strawberry jam or preserves slowly and continue beating until stiff peaks form

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