“When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if it’s not, ummmmmm, boy.” ~ from “Deep Thoughts” by Jack Handey 

So, when you go to the grocery store, do those big beautiful strawberries in the produce section keep calling out your name? 

Here’s the perfect solution: put those babies in a pie! It would make a nice treat for Father’s Day, or any time you want a pretty, shimmering dessert to wow your guests. 

I first made this pie at our old house, where my husband, Len, took great pride in his strawberry patch. Now we live in the woods and don’t get enough sun to grow our own. Sigh. But that won’t stop us from making this pie. It’s that good. You can use any type of crust you wish — roll out a shortcrust, if you’re feeling ambitious, or try this pressed crumb crust, which I’m posting here. Enjoy!

FRESH STRAWBERRY PIE
(makes 1 9-inch pie)

Filling:

1-1/2 to 2 quarts fresh strawberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
4 T strawberry flavor gelatin

Mix water, sugar and cornstarch and bring to a boil. Add strawberry jello. Set aside to cool. Fill baked shell with strawberries. Pour cooked mixture over this.

Butter Pecan Crust

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Blend butter, flour and sugar until crumbs form. Stir in nuts. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Tips: Read this classic by Lois Lenski. How I LOVE this book!