Let Them Eat Pie!

As promised, here is the recipe for the Strawberry Pie I made for Easter.  We had so many strawberries I actually made another one.  It turned much out prettier because I remembered the egg wash!

Strawberry-Balsamic Pie

What You Need:

double pie crust (I like this recipe from Simply Recipes)

2 lbs. of fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and thickly sliced

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup cornstarch

egg wash ( 1 egg + 1 T. water, beaten together)

What You Do:

In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar.

Mix until well coated.

Let sit for 1 hour.

Get your oven going at 350 degrees.

Strain the strawberries, reserving the liquid.

Return the berries to the bowl and sprinkle in the cornstarch, mixing thoroughly.

Line the pie plate with half of the pie crust.

Pour in the strawberries and top with the other half of the crust.

Crimp edges, then brush the top with egg wash.

Prick holes in the crust with a fork to allow steam to escape.

Bake on a sheet pan (to catch drips) in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes

Allow to cool for AT LEAST 2 hours before cutting, 4 is better.

I'm sure this would be delicious a la mode!

Strawberry-Balsamic Syrup

Now you're asking, "What am I supposed to do with all this strawberry liquid?"  Well, I certainly didn't want to throw it away, so I made pancake syrup out of it.  Simply bring the liquid to boiling in a saucepan and boil for 3 minutes.  Then reduce heat and allow to reduce until it is nice and thick.  Bottle it up and you have a yummy new syrup to try.  We had this on our pancakes on Saturday and it was really, really good. The Balsamic gives it a nice twist.

So there it is!  If any of you make it I would love to get feedback or suggestions as this is a recipe I just made up as I went along.