Strawberry Cream Pie

It's strawberry season, and I can't think of a better way to enjoy these scrumptious berries than in a pie. This pie is an absolute favorite among my family, and I guarantee that if you love strawberries, you will have a difficult time only eating one slice. This dessert is unforgettable - with whole strawberries placed on top of a sweet cream filling and a homemade strawberry glaze poured over the pie. Give this pie of the month a try! It really is amazing.

Bon Appetit!

Tips:

If you have any leftover glaze, you can refrigerate and use in plain yogurt or use like a strawberry jam.

Please refer to pictures when whipping cream. You want soft peak for the initial whipping. When you whip the cream and cream cheese together, you want a stiff peak.

Organic strawberries will give you the best strawberry flavor. I highly recommend buying organic strawberries for this pie, even though you will pay more.

Preparation Time is 45 minutes. Chill time is 3 hours. Total time is 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

6 cups strawberries, divided
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
3 drops red food coloring, optional
1 (4 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (9 inch) baked pie crust

Directions:

Mash enough strawberries to measure 1 cup (approximately 1 3/4 cup whole strawberries). Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Gradually stir in water and mashed strawberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Add food coloring if desired. Boil and stir 1 minute; cool.

Next, stir the cream cheese, powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar), cinnamon, and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl. Beat the whipping cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick (but not too thick); add the cream cheese mixture and continue beating until thick. Pour the cream cheese filling into the baked pie crust, top with whole berries, and pour the cooked strawberry mixture over the whole strawberries. You may have some of the strawberry mixture leftover. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. It serves 8.