Strawberry Pie #1

This fresh strawberry pie keeps things simple: 3 cups of whole berries sit under a glossy, ruby-red glaze made from the fourth cup, simmered down with lemon juice and thickened with cornstarch.

The trick here is straining the cooked berries out of the juice before thickening. That gives you a crystal-clear glaze instead of a cloudy, jam-like mess. Stir the cornstarch slurry constantly as it comes to a boil, and you’ll see it go from milky to shiny in about 60 seconds.

Let that glaze cool to lukewarm before pouring it over the fresh berries. Too hot and you’ll cook the fruit; too cold and it won’t flow into all the gaps between the berries.

The result is a no-bake pie filling that lets the strawberries really shine. Top with a cloud of whipped cream or leave it bare so that bright red glaze steals the show.

Kitchen Tips

• Pick berries that are roughly the same size so the glaze coats evenly
• If your glaze gets too thick before pouring, gently warm it over low heat while stirring
• Hull berries and arrange them point-side-up for the prettiest presentation
• This pie is best served the same day; the crust softens overnight

Variations

• Strawberry-rhubarb glaze: Replace half the simmered strawberries with chopped rhubarb for a tangy twist
• Mixed berry: Use 2 cups strawberries and 1 cup each of blueberries and raspberries for the fresh layer