Gold Medal® Fresh Strawberry Pie

Just like what you see in the bakery window, except you made it yourself!

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) strawberries, hulled
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• Red food color, if desired
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Instructions

1. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
2. Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
3. Heat oven to 475 degrees F. With floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool on cooling rack.
5. In small bowl, mash enough strawberries to measure 1 cup.
6. In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup water and mashed strawberries (add 1 or 2 drops food color if deeper red color is desired). Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute; cool.
7. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and lemon peel until smooth. Spread evenly in pie crust. Top with remaining strawberries. Pour cooked strawberry mixture over top.
8. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.
9. Store in refrigerator.

Prep Time 40 min
Total Time 4 hr 35 min
Servings 8

To mash strawberries with ease, use the pulsing feature of your blender or food processor.

For a double strawberry hit, use 3 ounces of soft cream cheese with strawberries in place of the regular cream cheese.

Use Betty Crocker® pie crust mix for the scratch pie crust in this recipe and save time.

Nutrition Information: 1 Serving Calories 320 (Calories from Fat 125 ), % Daily Value Total Fat 14 g 14 % (Saturated Fat 5 g, 5 % ), Cholesterol 15 mg 15 %; Sodium 180 mg 180 %; Total Carbohydrate 48 g 48 % (Dietary Fiber 3 g 3 % ), Protein 3 g 3 %

% Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 52%; Calcium 2%; Iron 6%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Reprinted with permission from Betty Crocker.