A Spring Pie For Any Season

May 7, 2008

As you all know, I have a problem with pie crusts. I'm terrible with them, they're my baking Achilles' heel. Yet, I absolutely adore them. So when I found this pie on MyRecipes.com, I was over the moon. This springtime pie has a crushed-graham-cracker crust and is filled with a mixture of strawberries splashed with balsamic vinegar. There's no crust to mess up and the filling sounds amazing. If it sounds delectable to you, get the recipe when you read more.

From Cooking Light, May 2001

Spring Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

CRUST:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Cooking spray

FILLING:
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 cups small strawberries

TOPPING:
3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted
1/2 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl, tossing with a fork until moist.

Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
To prepare the filling, combine strawberry slices and vinegar in a medium nonstick skillet.
Place the berry mixture over medium-high heat; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in 1/4 cup sugar.
Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Add to pan, and bring to a boil.
Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat; stir in juice.
Cool completely.
Arrange whole strawberries, stem sides down, in crust.
Pour cooled strawberry mixture over whole strawberries.
Cover loosely, and chill 4 hours.
To prepare the topping, combine 3 tablespoons cracker crumbs, nuts, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter in a small bowl.
Place crumb mixture in a small skillet over medium heat.
Cook 2 minutes or until golden brown; cool.
Sprinkle crumb mixture over pie.
Top each serving with whipped topping.

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 229(35% from fat); FAT 8.8g (sat 4.1g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 2.3g; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 34mg; SODIUM 176mg; FIBER 3.5g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:
— Sensational Strawberry Desserts
— Our Best of Desserts Recipe Collection
— Summer's Best Bounty at CookingLight.com
— Get More Pie Recipes

12 Comments

mommie 5 years 2 weeks

Crumb crusts are much easier than the classic crusts. It never seems to fail that regular crusts always give me fits.

Kate Marie 5 years 2 weeks

Sounds great. I love graham cracker pie crusts, and strawberries!!

LuxuryAddict 5 years 2 weeks

Mmmmmmmm im in heaven....

aimeeb 5 years 2 weeks

:feedme:

ktownpolarbear 5 years 2 weeks

this looks so simple and awesome. i know what i'm making this weekend. :)

designergirl 5 years 2 weeks

A pie, to me, must have a proper crust. But I'm biased because I love making pies and pie crust; I'd make a pie everyday if there were enough people in my house to eat it!