It's OK To Cheat On Valentine's Day

It stays light out past 5 o'clock.  The seed and garden displays are set up at the home improvement stores.  And, I'm so very ready for this winter to be over.  I can close my eyes and smell the Spring air and imagine the smell of a charcoal grill…

Yup, I've got Spring Fever.  I've got it bad.

Beautiful ripe strawberries ready to
become pie!

I needed something fresh and light and summery to help cheer me up this weekend and remind me of the warmer days.  This beautiful strawberry pie was just the thing.  The finished product might look complicated, but it isn't.  And that is exactly the point.  Even though you are "cheating" by using some store bought ingredients, your friends will still be impressed and the pie still tastes delicious.  So this year for Valentine's Day, its ok to cheat!

The cornstarch is key to a
thick rich filling.

To get started, cut up about 3-4 cups of strawberries.  I quartered most of them and halved some of the smaller ones.  You don't want to cut the pieces too small because after you bake the pie you want some of the larger pieces to hold their shape.  Place the berries in a bowl and stir to coat them with the sugar.  In a medium saucepan, bring the water, cornstarch and strawberry mixture to a boil.  Use medium heat so you don't scorch the sugar.  Add in the zest from one lemon.  Stir frequently until the mixture is heated through.  It took me about 7 minutes from start to finish.  You will see the mixture begin to thicken as soon as it comes to a boil; that is what the cornstarch is for.  It doesn't impart a flavor to the mixture, but ensures it isn't too runny which would lead to a soggy crust.  Turn off the heat, and let the mixture cool completely.  I placed my saucepan in the fridge (on a hot pad) to speed up the process.

One ready to use pie shell and the two rolled pie
crusts make this recipe a piece of "pie"! 

Take the pre-made pie crusts out of the packaging and unroll them.  Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts.  Try and get as many out of the two crusts as possible.  You will have more than enough to cover the pie with, but I have a surprise use for the "extras" that I think you will like!

Small cut outs of hearts.
Ready for the assembly.

Once the berry mixture has cooled, pour it into the prepared pie crust.  When I made the pie, I realized I should have used more berries for the filling.  You can see from the pictures that it didn't quite fill out the pie shell as much as it should have, so I wasn't able to start the hearts all the way at the edge of the crust.  Don't make the same mistake; err on the side of having too much filling that you potentially don't use.  You want the filling to go all the way up to the top of the crust.

All the hearts have been placed on the pie and its
ready for the oven!

Make an egg wash by cracking an egg into a small bowl and adding a splash of water.  Whisk with a fork until it is completely beaten together.  Working in small batches, brush one side of the hearts with egg wash using a pastry brush and begin placing them firmly around the outside of the crust.  Continue to place the hearts on the pie by layering them in between the gaps.  Press down to adhere the hearts to each other.  The egg wash works just like "food glue".  Leave a small hole in the center of the pie uncovered.  Once you have the hearts placed, brush the entire pie with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with Turbinado sugar.

Place the finished pie onto a cookie sheet or tray to catch any bubbling juices during baking.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes then reduce the oven to 375 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the filling bubbles and the top is browned.  I turned mine about half way through to keep the crust from getting too dark.

You need to let the pie cool completely so it sets up before you cut into it.  You don't want to cover it up until it cools because condensation will make the crust soggy.  So set the pie someplace out of the way and leave it be!  But... you will want something to nibble on and that crust looks so tasty.  So, keep reading for a bonus recipe that fits the bill.

Straight out of the oven!  Isn't it beautiful?!

** BONUS RECIPE **  After I finished covering the pie with the cut out hearts I had quite a few left unused.  Rather than waste the dough (and scraps) I sprayed a sheet pan with Pam, laid out the hearts (and scraps) and sprayed them lightly with the Pam.  Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the cut outs and bake them off in the oven until they are crispy and brown.

These are just the thing to nibble on to keep you from cutting into the pie before it is ready!  They are nice little snack and go great on a bowl of ice cream or with a cup of coffee.

Close up shot of the pie crust.  

Strawberry Heart Pie
Recipe adapted from missbuttercup.com / adapted from MarthaStewart.com
- 3 - 4 cups of strawberries (cut into quarters)
- Zest of one Lemon
- 1 Frozen Pie Shell
- 1 package prepared pie crust
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 egg
- Turbinado sugar or Sanding Sugar

Cinnamon Sugar Hearts make a great
little treat!