Strawberry Cream Pie

On Sunday night I was paging through a June/July 2008 copy of Domino and I came across this Strawberry Pie recipe which seemed both quick and easy and also the perfect summery treat. I'm not very good at this sort of thing and have much to learn, but I love pies and fruit ones in particular and I thought I'd give it a try and take it along to girl's night on Monday night. It turned out quite yummy and the only mistake I made was to over blend the cream so that it was "stiffer" than it should be, which ultimately produced a less aesthetically pleasing dessert but still a tasty one.












Here's how to make it.

2 lbs. fresh strawberries, tops removed, plus 4 strawberries reserved
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp. corn starch
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. confectioner's sugar

Place 2 lbs. strawberries in a blender and blend on high until pureed, about 10 seconds (not for me though!). Combine milk, sugar and corn starch in a pan and whisk until dissolved. Add the puree and lemon juice. Cook on high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture is thick and bubbling (about 7 minutes). Remove from heat. Place graham cracker crumbs in a pie plate, drizzle with melted butter and mix until crumbs are moistened. With the back of a spoon, press evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate to form a crust. Pour strawberry filling into crust and let cool completely (about 30 minutes). Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, place heavy cream in a mixing bowl and, with an electric mixer, blend on high until stiff peaks form. Add confectioner's sugar and blend another 10 seconds. Using a spatula, spread the whipped cream over the filling. Slice strawberries and add to top.
(I tried it with a pre-made graham cracker crust.)