Well, it's ~almost~ summertime right?
This week, I really, really wanted to make a cherry chess pie, but alas...cherries are not in season yet. Inevitably, summer is right around the corner (sorry if I sound disappointed, I'm just never emotionally prepared enough for Texas summers) and one of my favorite flavors of summer is of course: strawberry lemon. My mom described this pie as a lemon cookie on top of strawberries and I'm really okay with that!
This lemon strawberry pie is so delightful, it makes you want to sing about summer! The key is to let the strawberries "marinate" in the sugar and lemon juice while you make the crust and lemon topping. The strawberries breakdown and create this beautiful strawberry syrup that blends with the lemon flavor on top. Ugh. Paired with a salty, crunchy, flaky crust? Makes me want to cry.
Notes
1. The crust recipe that I use a halfed pie crust recipe from Leigh Anne Wilkes' blog, Your Home Based Mom, that I found a while back. Big fan!
2. I feel very strongly about using arrowroot as the thickeners to my pies, especially berry pies which have a higher water content than I find apple or cherry pies do. I always have some in the house, but understandably, not everyone might. If you can't get to the store during a pandemic and need a substitution, your best bet is cornstarch.
Serves 8
Prep Time: 40min
Cook Time: 40min
Total Time: 1 hr, 10min
ingredients
pie crust
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup salted, cold butter (half stick)
¼ cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 tablespoons ice water
strawberry filling
2 cups strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (half a juiced lemon)
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest (about half a lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
lemon topping
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons lemon juice (one lemon)
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
instructions:
strawberry filling
1. In a large bowl mix quartered strawberries, brown and white sugar, ginger, salt, and lemon juice and zest. Give it a good stir to combine ingredients. All your strawberries should be covered in sugar.
2. Sprinkle arrowroot starch evenly over the strawberries. Fold in the arrowroot with the strawberries using a spatula until the strawberries are evenly covered. The arrowroot, sugar, and lemon will create a little sugar sauce for your strawberries to rest in. Set aside while you make crust.
crust
1. While your strawberries rest, measure flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add cubed butter and shortening on top.
2. Mix with your hands to incorporate ingredients, breaking apart the chunks of butter and shortening until the dough looks loose and pebbly. The largest chunk of butter or shortening you see should be the size of a pea.
3. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, still mixing your dough as you add each tablespoon. Be careful not to over-water! You want the dough to stick together but not be too wet or sticky. (It’s okay that you still have some butter chunks!)
4. Once the dough can be formed into a ball, transfer from out the bowl to a sheet of plastic wrap, placing the dough ball in the middle of the sheet. Fold the plastic wrap in half over the dough and roll out with a rolling pin to about ¾ inch disk. It doesn’t have to be a perfect disk! The wrap will just keep your dough together and be the final solidifying step.
5. Wrap up tightly and place in the freezer for about 10-15 min to firm up.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Remove from the freezer and place on a large floured cutting board and roll out into a 15” or so disk.
8. Once it’s rolled out, roll the dough around the rolling pin like a scroll. Do so, by starting at the top. Hold the top of the dough and roll the pin towards yourself, wrapping the dough around it.
9. Take your scroll of dough and lay on the edge of 9” pie plate. Repeat the step above, but instead of rolling, unroll the dough over the top of the plate.
10. Let the dough sink down into the pie plate, don’t push it or stretch it into the bottom of the plate!
You can fold the excess dough around the edges of the plate underneath itself to crimp or create a design.
11. Poke the bottom of the pie with a fork about 6-8 times to allow steam to escape.
lemon topping
1. Melt 4 tablespoon of butter and pour into a small bowl with sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
2. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest.
3. Finally, add flour and mix until the batter is smooth and clump free.
assembly
1. Pour strawberry filling into the prepared pie crust and spread evenly across the bottom.
2. Pour the lemon topping over the strawberries.
3. Pop in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the top of the pie is golden brown and there's a minimum amount of jiggle to the center. Let cool for 30-40 min before serving so that your pie might set up.