Ice Box Strawberry Pie

It's time for February's installment of the Secret Recipe Club!  If you remember, SRC is a little like secret Santa.  We are assigned a blog every month and get to secretly snoop around and make and blog about a recipe from the site.  This month I was given Eat, Laugh Love.  If I had to describe the blog in 3 words, I would use healthy, creative and delicious.  There are so many great recipes.  And such a variety of spices and flavors.  There is no need to be bored with healthy eating with recipes like these.  I made a few different recipes including Southwestern Chicken and Veggie Roll Ups, which were delicious by the way.  My hubby took them to work and was sure to let me know that they were a keeper.

The recipe I chose to share with you is the Icebox Strawberry Pie.  In my neck of the woods it has been a terribly cold winter.  We endured several weeks of sub-freezing temperatures with lows reaching as little as -20°.  We really enjoyed the 10 days we spent without water in the kitchen thanks to frozen pipes.  I'm so sick of being cold I could barf!  I have Spring fever something terrible and I really needed something to remind me that I haven't moved to Siberia.  And I love strawberries.  Plain and simple.  If there is a recipe with strawberries in it, I'm going to make it.

And this strawberry pie is fantastic.  I really love the method this recipe uses.  Imagine 2 pounds of fresh strawberries simmered on the stove until it is thick, gooey and jam like.  Add to that sliced fresh berries and you have yourself a winner.  It has just the right amount of the sweet tart flavor that make strawberries so delicious.  Next time I make this I think I may try using frozen mixed berries and stir in fresh sliced strawberries just to give it a twist. 

Icebox Strawberry Pie
Serves 8

2 pounds strawberries, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1 cup sugar

 Pinch salt

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced thin

1 9-inch pie shell, baked and cooled, either pastry or graham cracker crust

Cook berries in large saucepan over medium-low heat until berries begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and jam like, about 25 minutes. Measure the mixture to no more than two cups. If it’s more than two cups, continue cooking longer.

Combine lemon juice, water, and gelatin in small bowl. Let stand until gelatin is softened and mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir gelatin mixture, sugar, and salt into cooked berry mixture and return to simmer, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Fold fresh berries into filling. Spread evenly in pie shell and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. Filled pie can be refrigerated for 24 hours.