Pretty as Pie

Strawberry-Peach Pie with Lemon


2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt
2/3 cup water

2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 


In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt. Blend in water and 2 1/2 cups strawberries. Bring to a boil, stirring and roughly smashing the strawberries. Boil, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick, a minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cool.

1 pie crust - baked

1 1/2 cup whipping cream
Peels off one lemon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

For the lemon whipped cream, combine the sugar and a 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and add peels of the lemon. Simmer for 5 minutes (until the sugar is fully absorbed) and turn off the heat. Let the syrup fully cool completely. Strain the syrup and add it to the whipping cream along with the vanilla. Whip to form soft peaks.



Add the strawberry mixture to the pie crust, and top with 1 cup remaining fresh strawberries and one sliced peach (optional). Dollop the whipped cream in the center, and spread, still revealing the strawberries at the edge. Garnish with 1/2 cup chopped strawberries.

Bon Appetit!