The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Every June, I anticipate the first batch of ripe strawberries in our backyard. Checking the patch each morning I look for the bright red fruit, like little ruby gems, peeking out from under the shade of their leaves. In time for our family Fathers' Day celebration, we had a bounty of gorgeous strawberries ready to pluck last week. This delightful pie with a cloud of creamy filling in a sweet and salty pretzel crust, acts as the perfect vehicle for highlighting the beauty of sun-ripened strawberries. A celebration of the season!

Ingredients:

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons un-sifted confectioners' sugar

3 cups (120 grams) mini pretzels, finely ground

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

12 ounces cream cheese

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced lengthwise

Fresh mint or basil, thinly sliced for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch, deep pie dish by generously greasing with butter.

First make the crust. In a mixing bowl, combine the 14 tablespoons of butter with ½ cup of the confectioners' sugar. Use an electric mixer to beat the sugar into the butter, then add the ground pretzels, flour, baking soda, and salt. Continue to beat on low speed until just combined, then increase the speed to high and beat until a soft, cohesive dough is formed. Gather the dough and transfer to the prepared pie dish. Use your fingers to press the mixture into an even layer across the bottom and sides of the dish. Allow the edges to be thicker and crimp like you would a regular pie crust. Make sure the corners and bottom are not too thick. Place in hot oven and bake until crust is slightly puffed and a deep golden-brown color, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely while you make the filling.

Next prepare the filling. With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese on high speed for 1 minute to soften. Turn the mixer off then add 1 ½ cups of the confectioners' sugar. Continue to beat on low speed until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Next, with the mixer on low, add the heavy cream, a splash at a time, beating the cream evenly into the mixture before each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to high. Beat until mixture is whipped and billowy, about 2 more minutes. Will resemble a firm whipped cream or merengue.

When the crust is completely cool add the cream mixture and spread with a spatula. Cover and place in the refrigerator to set. Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight to allow the cream filling to fully firm up. Shortly before serving, combine the sliced strawberries and 2 tablespoons of confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Set aside and allow to macerate for at least 30 minutes. When ready, remove the pie from the refrigerator and spoon the strawberries over the top. Garnish the top with chiffonade of fresh mint or basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes:

This unique dessert perfectly balances sweet and salty flavors with creamy and crunchy textures. Look for the best quality local strawberries, at peak ripeness for this recipe. You could try using other seasonal fresh berries for the topping in-place of, or in combination with the strawberries.

This past weekend, I served this special pie as a festive sweet ending to a family barbeque. For ease of cutting, make sure to keep the pie chilled until ready to serve. Strawberries should be added on top just before serving.

Enjoy!