Strawberry recipes #6 and #7

The berry bushes are still producing madly (kind of like I love them, madly), but alas I've failed to properly document the last few things I've done with the madly delicious berries. So without further ado, two more madly awesome recipes incorporating the maddeningly amazing strawberry.


Strawberry Milkshakes

Strawberries, frozen
Milk
Sugar (optional)
Ice

Combine equal amounts of milk and strawberries in a blender and blend madly away. Add sugar to taste and enough ice to meet your desired thickness. For an elegant presentation, pour into glasses (or Veggie Tales cups if you're at our house) and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Voila!




Berry Pie with Fresh Fruit

That's the title it's found under in my trusty Joy of Cooking cookbook, and it's suitable for use with gooseberries, currants, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, huckleberries and loganberries. I rarely make a fully baked pie with strawberries (this may be the first time I ever have), but I had a craving for crust, the top and the bottom, thus baking was required.

4 c fresh berries
2/3 - 1 c sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 t cinnamon
2 c flour
1 t salt
2/3 chilled shortening
2 T chilled butter
4 T water
1 to 2 T butter

Combine first amount of sugar (based on tartness of your berries), 1/4 c flour, and cinnamon and sprinkle over berries. Stir gently and let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450.

Sift together (or just combine, if like me, you don't have a sifter) 2 c flour and salt. Combine chilled shortening and butter and add half to flour mixture, cutting with a pastry blender or crumbling with fingers until it has the grain of cornmeal. Add the rest of the shortening mixture and work in until chunks are pea-size. Sprinkle dough with water and blend lightly until it holds together. If needed, add more water one teaspoonful at a time until you can gather it up easily.

Divide dough into two balls, and roll out for crusts. As my mother does, I like to slit the top crust creating a picture of whatever is inside the pie. Lay the bottom crust in a pie pan, pour in the berry mixture and dot with butter. Place top pie crust over and crimp edges to your liking. Eat the leftover dough after wiping down the inside of the berry bowl with it.

Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 35 to 40 minutes or until top is nicely browned and juices begin to leak through the slits in the crust.

I must say (must I? okay, not really, but I will anyway) that this was hands-down the best pie crust I have ever made. I've used this crust recipe before with just average results, so I don't know if it was the weather, the thoroughly chilled shortening, the luck of the rolling or the panties I was wearing, but something (everything!) went right with this crust, and it was divine. Madly so. I was tempted to eat the whole thing myself except the kids saw me making it and might not have forgiven me if I'd not shared.