Strawberry Pie with Jello

When faced with seasonal fresh strawberries, few desserts are as welcomed as pie, and this version with jello is one of those easy recipes that screams sunny days and outdoor eating, with a sweet well balanced filling and lots of strawberry flavor. It lasts for several days, but I never get to experience that as it disappears so quickly!

This is one of those great recipes that I made one day just because, and it was quickly labeled as one of the family's favorites. A bit of a surprise, as using commercial jello is not something I ever envisioned doing, much less post about it. Yet, here I am. Sometimes a recipe just works and ends up being a delicious dessert alternative, and I'd be doing a disservice not sharing it with you.

It has several steps, but you can make the pie shell in advance or even use store-bought. And the gelatin mixture, which might sound complicated, is very easy to work with.

The strawberry cream pie I've been making for years is the one my grandmother handed down and it involves clear, plain gelatin. No funny colors or flavors. I love it and make it often. But this one today is different as it packs more strawberries, is taller, uses a different pie crust, and doesn't have so much cream filling. A more relaxed, Summery version of this classic which is now filed under delicious pies to make often.

Like many old-fashioned bakers who do it for a living, I rarely use store-bought shortcuts except for cookies maybe, when making cookie crust or the best oreo cheesecake ever. Or should I say I rarely used, past tense, because I have been incorporating a few supermarket pantry staples lately, and I have to say I'm hooked with some of them, like using boxed cake mix for dump cakes. But that's another conversation.

So let's get into the details of each component.

The crust

Homemade pie dough is my first option, always. But I keep a few frozen doughs at all times in my freezer. For this pie I like the Flaky Homemade Pie Crust or the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry if you like a sweeter pie.

Pie shell

This recipe doesn't go into the oven, so you need a fully baked pie shell (pie crust).

Fully bake it: the filling in this pie is cold and needs no oven which suits us very well for hot days, doesn't it. Still, we first have to blind bake it (which means using pie weights or something similar during the first 15 minutes so that the dough holds its shape as much as it can) but then we continue after removing the weight until it's completely baked and golden.

Make it ahead. You have different options:
1. Room temperature: fully bake the pie crust and leave it at room temperature. This works if making it the day before or several hours before adding the filling (it has to be completely cold), and if the room is cool.
2. Refrigerator: make the dough, line the pan or pie plate, cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer until ready to use. I've kept pie doughs ready like this for a month.
3. Freeze the dough: you can also make the dough and freeze it, well wrapped, before rolling it out. Take into account that you'll need to defrost it first in the refrigerator which takes a day or so, and then roll it out and bake it with enough time to let it cool completely before adding the filling.

The filling

Did I tell you this is a no-bake filling? It does involve a bit in the stovetop to make the gelatin mixture, but it's just a few minutes, I promise.

Fresh strawberries

This is a pie recipe that begs to be made with fresh fruit. The flavor is superior, there are different types in the markets, and they are also cheaper. So when there are in season strawberries available, we take advantage of them, don't we?

How to prepare them.
The strawberries are washed, hulled, cut, and mixed with sugar (image 1). We let them macerate for a while and then we drain them (image 2). That juice is sweet and syrupy and will add a lot to the filling. An extra boost of flavor that you don't want to miss!

Gelatin mixture or jello filling

Don't be put off by the fact that there is gelatin (strawberry jello powder to be more exact) in this pie because the process is really easy and hard to mess up with since the jello is mixed with cold water from the tap. It's then cooked with the rest of the ingredients. The important thing is to check the heat and whisk constantly.

Cornstarch

It's also part of the filling, and is cooked together with the jello to help achieve that solid but smooth texture we all love. Cornstarch is a thickener, a white powder used a lot in baking and cooking, not to be confused with corn starch which is cornflour.

Whipped topping

Being a plain (in appearance only!) and simple fresh strawberry pie, I think adding a creamy topping adds a lot, both in looks and also when you bite and find many contrasting textures: the smoothness of the jello, the rusticity of the strawberries and the creaminess of the topping.

I have my favorite cream topping recipe that I use for pies, cakes and desserts in general and is a classic chantilly cream made firmer by the addition of cream cheese.

• More stabilized whipped cream: this is a tip from an old dessert cookbook by Nancy Silverton that I adopted years ago when I had a cafe, and never looked back. The whipped cream has more consistency without tasting like cream cheese. So it's a win on all front.
• Chantilly cream: if you want to make it the traditional way, simply omit the cream cheese and follow the same instructions.
• Cool whip: since we're already hopped on the strawberry jello bandwagon, we might as well open up to commercial whipped toppings, such as Cool Whip, which is an imitation whipped cream sold in supermarkets. If you like it, by all means use it.
  

When making whipped cream, start beating with an electric mixer until medium peaks form. Then change to a hand whisk until you have the firm peaks you need. This way you have a slim chance of over beating and curdling the cream.

Vintage Kitchen Tip

Top tips

• Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
• Strawberries: use fresh ones. This pie is just not the same with frozen ones. I did try using frozen, and you can thaw them and use the water as part of the cornstarch gelatin mixture. But the flavor is just not there completely. And the appearance of shriveled strawberries is not very appealing either. So I don't recommend them. If you only have frozen, I suggest making a different dessert, like the Strawberry Crisp recipe, or using them for our wonderful Strawberry Sauce and topping a cheesecake.
• Gelatin: my number one tip for working with this ingredient that many feel is difficult, is beware of the temperatures of the strawberry preparation when adding the gelatin. That said, this recipe makes it easier because it's all dissolved and mixed before heating it. So there's less room for issues. I use regular jello, but I don't see why using sugar-free jello wouldn't work. If it solidifies it's good to use.
• Graham cracker crust: for an easier pie, you can also use a cookie crumb crust. Find all the ingredients and details in this graham cracker crust recipe post.

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