Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Crust (and Tutorial!)
This is sweet seduction: Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Crust.
The strawberries you’ll find in markets at this time of the year are different from the strawberries you ate a month ago. Why? Because now they taste like REAL strawberries. Sweet. Succulent. Seductive.
Chocolate and strawberries are a natural combo, so I used chocolate wafer cookies to make the crust. You can also use graham crackers or shortbread if you prefer. I folded the strawberry puree into pillows of whipped egg white so the pie is light and airy. I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial after the main recipe.
Just make sure you buy locally grown strawberries. If the package says the strawberries were picked in another country, put them back and wait a few weeks longer. Fresh strawberries are in season… succumb to the sweet seduction.
Deep-Dish Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Crust
prep: 40 minutes
bake: 10 minutes
resting: 3 hours
makes one 9-inch pie, 8 servings
you’ll need…
1 package chocolate wafer cookies
1⅓ cup sugar, divided
⅓ cup melted butter
1 lb. strawberries, divided
1 envelope gelatin
¾ cup cold water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
let’s get to it…
Place oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Crush cookies and ⅓ cup sugar in a food processor. Transfer crumb mixture to a large bowl and add the melted butter. I don’t add the butter to the food processor because it can get clumpy.
Press the crumb mixture into the deep-dish pie pan, including the sides (your crust will be thick). Bake 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Remove the stems from the strawberries. Place 12 ounces of the strawberries (about ¾ of all of the strawberries) and ½ cup sugar into a food processor and purée; set aside.
Pour water into a small saucepan and sprinkle on gelatin; soften for 5-minutes. Add remaining ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, and salt to saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until sugar dissolves (don’t boil!). Pour gelatin mixture into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
Pour strawberry mixture from food processor into cooled gelatin; stir.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into strawberry mixture. Pour into baked chocolate piecrust. Use a spatula to remove all the eggs whites from the bowl.
Garnish with remaining 4 ounces of strawberries (you can slice them, or just put them on whole). Chill pie for at least 3 hours.
Tutorial: Deep-Dish Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Crust
1. Gather your ingredients: 1 package chocolate wafer cookies; 1⅓ cup sugar, divided; ⅓ cup melted butter; 1 lb. strawberries, divided; 1 envelope gelatin; ¾ cup cold water; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; ⅛ teaspoon salt; 2 egg whites
2. Place oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Crush cookies and ⅓ cup sugar in a food processor.
4. Transfer crumb mixture to a large bowl and add the melted butter. I don’t add the butter to the food processor because it can get clumpy.
5. Press the crumb mixture into the deep-dish pie pan, including the sides (your crust will be thick). Bake 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and set aside to cool.
6. Remove the stems from the strawberries. Place 12 ounces of the strawberries (about ¾ of all the strawberries) and ½ cup sugar into a food processor and purée; set aside.
7. Pour water into a small saucepan and sprinkle on gelatin; soften for 5-minutes.
8. Add remaining ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, and salt to saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until sugar dissolves (don’t boil!). Pour gelatin mixture into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
9. Pour strawberry mixture from food processor into cooled gelatin; stir and set aside.
10. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
11. Fold egg whites into strawberry mixture.
12. Keep folding until the egg whites are incorporated into the strawberry mixture. It will be liquidy.
13. Pour into baked chocolate piecrust. Use a spatula to remove all the eggs whites from the bowl.
14. Garnish with remaining 4 ounces of strawberries (you can slice them, or just put them on whole).
15. Chill pie for at least 3 hours.
