First, I must give credit to Sunset Magazine for this recipe. It was in their June 1990 issue in an article called Summer Fruit Pies, chock-full of pie recipes. It’s like my pie-recipe Bible. There are so many pieces of scotch tape holding that issue together, it’s incredible. This strawberry pie is my favorite. I like it because you make the glaze yourself from whole strawberries. There aren’t any artificial dyes or gelatin in it. My big pie confession is that I can’t make a pie crust to save my life. Every few years I try, but without success. I buy the crusts found in the refrigerated section of the grocery, the kind you unroll. Today is March 17, 2012, St. Patrick’s Day, one of my favorite food holidays. I’ve got corned beef boiling on the stove top and Irish soda bread planned. The strawberry pie is the pièce de résistance of the meal.

 

Starting at the end. Here is the finished pie. Making the food pretty isn't my strong gift, but one taste of this is all that's necessary for transport to food heaven.

Mix together in pan: sugar, corn starch, and grated orange peel.

Choose 2 cups of the least perfect strawberries.

Whirl strawberries with water until smoothly pureed.

Add strawberry puree to sugar mixture in pan and stir very well.

Cook, stirring often, over medium high heat until mixture comes to a full boil, about 5 minutes. Stir in orange liqueur to taste.

Arrange remaining strawberries, tips up, in a pastry shell.

Spoon hot cooked berry mixture over whole fruit, covering completely.

Orange Blossom-Strawberry Pie

6 to 7 cups strawberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. grated orange peel

6 Tbsp. water

2 to 3 Tbsp. orange-flavor liqueur or 2 Tbsp. thawed frozen orange juice concentrate

Baked pastry for a single-crust 9” pie

Rinse strawberries and drain dry on absorbent towels; hull fruit.

In a 1 to 1-1/2-quart pan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and orange peel. In a blender or food processor, whirl 2 cups of the least perfect strawberries with water until smoothly puréed; pour purée into pan, medium-high heat until mixture comes to a full boil, about 5 minutes. Stir in orange liqueur to taste.

Arrange remaining strawberries, tips up, in pastry shell; evenly spoon the hot cooked berry glaze mixture over whole fruit, covering completely. Chill until glaze is cool and set, at least 1 hour or covered, up until next day. Cut into wedges. Serves 8 or 9.

A lot of people like to add a dollop of whipped cream to their slice.