This Strawberry Cream Pie is one of my all-time favorite summer fruit pies.

Rich vanilla pastry cream and fresh strawberry pie filling are layered inside flaky pastry then baked until the crust is golden and the filling is bursting with strawberry flavor.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

This strawberry cream pie starts with a thick layer of my favorite pastry cream, so right off the bat, you know it's going to be good.

Besides being silky smooth and incredibly rich and creamy, this pastry cream is simple to make and remarkably stable. It's rich and thick enough to use as a filling for cream pies, layer cakes and layered pastries like the classic Napoleon dessert.

It's also creamy enough to easily pipe into pastries like eclairs and cream puffs.

Thanks to a bit of gelatin, this pastry cream will hold its own at room temperature for hours without breaking down and, even though some of you might be skeptical, it can be baked inside a pie without curdling.

The pastry cream is loaded into a partially baked bottom pie crust and topped with fresh strawberry filling. The flavors in the strawberry filling concentrate while the pie bakes, giving you a creamy pie that's bursting with fresh, strawberry flavor.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

Recipe: Strawberry Cream Pie

This recipe was originally published on ofbatteranddough.com. For step-by-step photos and instructions, please see the original recipe: Strawberry Cream Pie

• 2 pie crusts, well chilled (My favorite pie crust recipe is this Fool Proof Pie Crust)

For the Pastry Cream Layer:

• 1 ½ teaspoons (4.6g) unflavored gelatin
• 3 teaspoon (15ml) cold water
• 6 large egg yolks (*See note below for ideas about what to do with the egg whites.)
• ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
• 2 cups (474ml) whole milk
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) salt
• 2 teaspoons (9g) pure vanilla extract

For the Strawberry Filling:

• 6 heaping cups of fresh strawberries, stems removed and cut into quarters (about 2 ½ pounds after the stems have been removed)
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) salt
• ½ teaspoon lemon extract or ¼ teaspoon lemon oil (*See note below for the difference between lemon extract and lemon oil.)
• 1 teaspoon (4.6g) pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons (13g) granulated sugar (for sprinkling over the top of the pie)

Make the Pastry Cream Layer:

1. In a small dish, stir the gelatin and water together to combine. There should be just enough water to moisten the gelatin, creating a rubbery paste. Set aside.
2. Add the egg yolks and cornstarch to a medium size bowl and beat with a wire whisk to combine. Set the bowl on a kitchen towel somewhere close to the stovetop. (This will keep the bowl from sliding around on the counter when you whisk in the hot milk.)
3. Set a heat proof measuring cup next to the stovetop, preferably one with a pourable spout.
4. Add the milk, sugar, and salt to a 3-quart or larger heavy bottomed saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until it barely begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Pour approximately 1 ½ cups (360ml) of the hot milk into the measuring cup. Slowly pour the hot milk from the measuring cup into the egg yolks, pouring slowly, and whisking constantly.
6. Pour everything back into the saucepan and set it over low heat. (You want to continue to heat the eggs slowly so they won’t scramble.) Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick and begins to boil.
7. As soon as thickens to the consistency of pudding and barely begins to boil, remove from the heat and whisk for about 20 seconds longer. Pour the pastry cream into a bowl.
8. Break the gelatin into small pieces, dropping them onto the hot pastry cream. Let stand for about 20 seconds to let the gelatin to melt, then stir until the gelatin is completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
9. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap over the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 48 hours.

Make the strawberry pie filling:

1. Hull and quarter the strawberries and put them into a medium size heavy bottom saucepan. Add the sugar, cornstarch and salt and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until the strawberries release some of their juice, the sugar melts, and the resulting syrup is thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon extract or lemon oil and vanilla extract. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Assemble and bake the pie:

1. Using a 9-inch pie plate, partially pre-bake a bottom pie crust according to these instructions. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before filling.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
3. Spread the pastry cream into the partially baked bottom crust and smooth into an even layer. Spoon the strawberry pie filling over the pastry cream.
4. Remove the remaining pie dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to ¼-inch thickness. Use any shaped cookie cutter to cut pieces from the dough and place on the top of the pie.
5. Set the pie on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil (to catch any drips) and place in the oven. Sprinkle the top of the pie with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
6. Bake for 70 - 90 minutes, until the top crust is golden brown and the strawberry pie filling is bubbling.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting and serving, at least 3 hours. The pie can be served chilled or at room temperature. Store any uneaten pie in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

Recipe Notes:

• Use the leftover egg whites to make:
  
  Italian Meringue Buttercream
  Angel Food Cake
  Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies

What's the difference between Lemon Extract and Lemon Oil?

Pure lemon extract is a lemon-flavored liquid made by soaking lemon peels in alcohol. The alcohol absorbs the essential oils of the peels, resulting in a potent lemon flavor. Lemon oil is a very strong essence of lemon made by cold pressing lemon rinds.

For the most part I prefer the flavor of lemon oil, but either one works well to brighten the strawberry flavor in the filling for this pie. The brand I like is Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil, which uses 225 lemons in every 3.4 ounce bottle.

More recipes for strawberry lovers

Strawberry Shortcake with Ice Cream: I recently started making strawberry shortcake with ice cream instead of whipped cream and that is a swap I am 1000% into.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ rebeccablackwell.com

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam: This delicious homemade strawberry rhubarb jam recipe does not include any added pectin but DOES include a couple of secret ingredients that will have everyone thinking you're a jam-making genius.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

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