Our darling friends sweetly hosted a “Welcome back from England” dinner party for us. I offered to bring a strawberry pie and garnished it with a few mint sprigs from the garden. A dollop of my whipped cream, enhanced with almond extract, was added to each slice just before it was served for dessert!
As a 21-year-old bride, I quickly discovered my darling husband’s predilection for pies! It was not long before I compiled a repertoire of easy but very yummy pie recipes! The season of sweet summer strawberries is almost over, so here is my secret recipe, “easy as pie” to make!
My 5 Simple Ingredients:
-One Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust
OR a 9” graham cracker crust pie shell
-3 pints of strawberries
-1 cup of Sugar
-3 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and add in…
-My secret ingredient: 1-2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier Liquor, to taste. (This is optional but adds a delightful dimension to the pie's sweetness! You can use more lemon juice as an alternative to Grand Marnier.)
Bake the pie crust as directed until lightly brown. Place in the refrigerator to cool.
Take the stems off and slice 1 pint of strawberries in thirds, and place in a saucepan.
Stir in the sugar.
Add cornstarch with lemon (and Grand Marnier). When mixed, this mixture will become a thick paste. Pour into the saucepan.
Cook the above on the stovetop over moderate heat, stirring until the mixture becomes thick and clear.
De-stem and halve (or keep whole) 2 pints of strawberries and stir into the above semi-cooled mixture.
Pour into the semi-cooled, baked pie crust.
Refrigerate until well chilled.
Optional Additions:
Add a dollop of whipped cream to each slice: Whip a cup of heavy whipping cream with confectioner sugar to taste, and add ½ teaspoons (or more) of almond extract!
Sprinkle in blueberries if you wish, perfect for the 4th of July.
Garnish with a few mint sprigs if you have any.
GrandMillenial Tips:
-Keep a Pillsbury pie crust in your freezer so you can easily make ANY kind of pie at a moment's notice.
-My secret touch: Use a fork to make a “tine” imprint around the edges of the pie crust before it is baked, and voila, it resembles a homemade pie crust!
Life is better with strawberries and kisses. I do hope it is love at first bite for you!
Xx
Holly
PS: I am thrilled and honored that the “Private Luncheon at Fox Hall” was filled within three days... we will have such fun! More requests have continued to come in. I decided to host another luncheon the very next day, Saturday, September 21st. If you would like to attend this additional luncheon date, please email whitney@hollyholden.com. Your kind regrets are not necessary; only interested parties need to email. It will be the same joyful agenda as the day before, so I hope you can attend!
PSS: Take a peek at my private meeting in London with Elizabeth Gage, the exquisite jewelry designer here!