No-Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie. Listening To Nathan Roberts And The New Birds.

Isn’t that the truth?

Today’s featured appliance is the microwave.

I’ve made lots of pies, but this is the first time I ever tried a recipe for one with a microwave crust. That is where the ‘No Bake’ comes in. All you do is stir together the pie crust ingredients and press into a pie plate with your fingers. Microwave for 3 minutes and that’s it…done.

The verdict?

The crust has the texture of shortbread more so than a light, flaky shell. This is absolutely fine with me as its rich, buttery flavor contrasts perfectly with the sweet berries and cream. Makes me think of strawberry shortcake in pie form.

One note: some of my crust stuck a bit to the pan, so not all slices came out neatly. I’m not sure if it was because I didn’t pat it all into the pie plate evenly. Still tasted wonderful.

No-Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

No Bake Crust (recipe follows)
2 quarts fresh strawberries, about 8 cups
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons lemon, lime, or orange juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream and sliced almonds, to serve

Directions:

1. Hull the berries and cut into small pieces. Set aside 3/4 of the berries.

2. Place the remaining berries (about 1 1/2 cups chopped berries) in a saucepan, and crush a bit using a potato masher or a large spoon.

3. Combine the crushed berries with the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Cook over medium heat till the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the juice.

4. Stir the cooked berry mixture into the uncooked berries.

5. Spread the filling over the prepared crust.

6. Serve the pie warm or chill for a few hours before serving.

7. Top with whipped cream and some sliced almonds, if desired. I reserved a few bits of strawberry to scatter over the cream.

Serves 8 to 10

No Bake Crust

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Place butter in a microwave-safe 9″ pie pan. Heat in microwave till the butter melts.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugars, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients over the melted butter, and stir until no dry spots remain.

3. Using your fingers, press the dough over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

4. Microwave the crust for 2 minutes until hot. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until the crust is “set”. If the edges start to slide down towards the bottom of the pan push them back up.

Recipes from King Arthur Flour