Dr. Beth's Strawberry Pie

Serves: About 8

Ingedients:

• Pie crust of your choice (my recipe is below)
• Cream Cheese - 6 ounces (room temp)
• Stevia liquid, 1/4 teaspoon
• Vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon
• Strawberries, 2-1/2 to 3 quarts, cored, sliced into 2 - 4 pieces depending on size.
• Water, one cup
• Sugar, 2/3 cup ( I used organic cane sugar)
• Red jam, I used black raspberry, 2 tablespoons
• Stevia liquid, 1/4 teaspoon
• Corn starch, 5 tablespoons - be sure to use organic
• Cold water, 1/4 cup

Directions:

• Mix the vanilla, stevia and cream cheese with fork or spoon Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of the pie crust and chill.
• Place one cup of water with jam, sugar, stevia and a few (like 6-8 pieces) strawberries in a medium saucepan and heat on medium high until boiling. Reduce heat to med low. Boil for 4 minutes. Mash the strawberries into the sauce.
• Combine the corn starch with the 1/4 cup cup cold water and add to the sauce. Stir until thickened. Turn off heat. Add remaining strawberries and stir gently to combine.
• Pour contents into pie crust and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Dr. Beth's All Butter Pie Crust
creates 2 crusts (for top and bottom or to use one now and freeze one for later)

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups all purpose organic flour (For this recipe I used 3/4 cup wheat flour and 1 and 1/2 cups Trader Joes Gluten free flour because I did not realize I was so low on wheat flour) - Amazingly, it turned out great.
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup (two sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces - (if using salted butter, reduce the sea salt to 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:

• Place flour, salt and butter in food processor and pulse to combine and mix thoroughly.
• Add 1/4 cup of the ice water and continue to pulse. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until it pulls together.
• Gather the dough and place on cutting board or other flat surface. If it feels sticky you can dust with flour. Shape into a ball and cut in 1/2.
• Form two disks. Wrap well in wax paper and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
• If you are not using both crusts now, wrap second one in plastic and freeze for use later.
• If you refrigerate the dough longer than 30 minutes allow it to sit at room temperature a while until it rolls easily.
• Roll dough to fit pie pan. I usually crimp edges with a fork.

For this Strawberry Pie, I baked at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes until it was just barely starting to brown.

You can fill with any desired filling and bake according to the directions. I often use for this recipe for blueberry or pumpkin pies.

---