Strawberry Pie

This is definitely one of my favorite summertime desserts. The filling is quick and easy and the crust is a shortbread cookie. As Ina Garten says, what could be better than that?

Crust:

1 C butter (not margarine)
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 C flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder. Combine with the sugar and butter. Chill for an hour or so, then press into a 9" pie plate. I find this makes a lot and don't use quite all of the dough. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned- around 20 minutes. Let cool.

Filling:

In a saucepan, mix together:
1 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 small pkg strawberry jello
Add 1 C cold water and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened. Let cool to room temperature.

You will need one quart (4 Cups) of strawberries. Wash and take the tops off. Leave the berries whole, or halve the larger ones to make them more bite-size. Pat dry and place them in the cooled crust. Pour cooled gel mixture over berries and put the pie in the fridge for an hour or so until completely set. Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!

Strawberry Freezer Jam

One of my favorite things about summer is strawberry season. I always make loads of freezer jam that I love for sandwiches, cake and crepe fillings--lots of yummy ways to eat it.

Wash the berries and remove the tops. You can mash by hand, or since I'm lazy, I use the food processor. This recipe will make five, 250ml jars of jam, or two, 500ml jars with about a cup leftover for another jar.

1 3/4 C mashed berries
4 C sugar
1 pouch of liquid pectin (Certo)
2 T lemon juice

Stir together in a large bowl the berries and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add the Certo and the lemon juice. Stir for 3 minutes. Pour into jars, just below the rim. Cover with lids. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours then freeze away.