Fresh Strawberry Pie is the best way to enjoy strawberry season. The sweet and refreshing strawberries are piled high in a rich flaky pie crust and then topped with light and fluffy homemade whipped cream.

Whenever I make this pie, I always take a slice to my dad. He loves fresh strawberry pie.  I can remember as a kid going to a restaurant for his birthday and the staff bringing out a strawberry pie and singing Happy Birthday to him. Then, we all had a slice of the pie. I remember not being too impressed with it and thinking strawberry pie just wasn’t my thing. What I didn’t realize at the time is that it was the pre-made glaze that I didn’t like, not the pie itself.

Well, this recipe does not have pre-made glaze. The glaze is made from scratch and it is so simple to make! Instead of taking away from the fresh strawberry flavor like the pre-made glaze does, this glaze boosts the strawberry flavor even more.

With the combination of homemade pie crust, fresh strawberries, homemade glaze, and homemade whipped cream, this pie is a recipe for instant happiness!

Until next time,

Carrie

Fresh Strawberry Pie

makes 8 servings

1 baked and cooled pie crust (try my favorite flaky pie crust)

5 cups of fresh strawberries, washed and quartered

1 cup of water

3  1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

3/4 cup of sugar

1  1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cup of sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Combine 1 cup of sliced strawberries and 2/3 cups of water in a medium-sized pan. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Mash the strawberries with a wooden spoon and turn the heat down to medium-low heat.

2. In a bowl, mix the remaining 1/3 cup of water with the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in sugar/cornstarch mixture into the hot strawberries mixture. Simmer the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened and translucent. Cool completely.

3. Gently toss the remaining strawberries into the strawberry glaze. Pour the strawberry mixture into the pie crust. Place some plastic wrap over the pie. Place it in the fridge to set up for 2 hours.

4. Beat the Heavy cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl until it forms stiff peaks. Pipe the whipped cream onto the strawberry pie and serve.

This recipe was originally posted on May 13, 2014.

Here are a few other pie recipes you might enjoy.

Banana Cream Pie

 

5 Ingredient Key Lime Pie

 

Raspberry Custard Pie

 

Fresh Strawberry Pie is the BEST pie ever! The fresh sliced strawberries and the homemade glaze is incredibly amazing! The strawberry filling and flaky crust topped with whipped cream makes this pie the BEST there is!

Mint Chocolate Cake Roll is what dreams are made of! At least my dreams are anyways. I am a sucker for a rich, moist, chocolate cake. I hate to admit it, but I think about chocolate cake daily and this Mint Chocolate Cake Roll is just as amazing as it sounds

This moist chocolate cake is first filled with a smooth mint chocolate ganache and then a fluffy mint chocolate mousse. The cake is rolled up and then covered in more mint chocolate ganache. It case you were wondering, it is the most amazing cake ever!

If you know me, you know that mint and chocolate are my favorites, especially around the holidays. You can make this cake a day ahead. In my opinion, it tastes even better the next day.

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Carrie

Mint Chocolate Cake Roll

Cake

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

5 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

powder sugar, to aid in rolling the cake

 

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Line a 18 x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, whip the eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed and gradually add the sugar and then the vanilla, about 1 minute. Continue to whip the mixture until very thick and voluminous, 4 to 8 minutes.

4. With the electric mixer still on, gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread it out in an even layer. Bake the cake until it feels firm and springs back when touched, 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.

6. Remove the cake from the oven. Lay a clean dish towel (I found a tea towel works best) out on the counter and dust with powder sugar. Holding onto the parchment paper, carefully remove the cake from the hot pan.

7. Place the cake face side down on the dish towel. Gently peel the parchment paper off of the cake. Starting from the short end, roll the cake and dish towel snugly into a log. Let the cake cool completely. While the cake is cooling, make the mint chocolate ganache and mousse.

Mint Ganache and Mint Chocolate Mousse

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (12 oz.) bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tsp. of peppermint extract

3 cups of heavy whipping cream

6. Place the chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl. In a small sauce pan, bring 1 cup of heavy cream to a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth and creamy.

7. Stir in 2 tsp. of peppermint extract into the chocolate ganache. Pour 1 cup of the ganache into another bowl. Cover both bowls of ganache with plastic wrap. Set one bowl of ganache aside and place the other bowl in the fridge to chill for the chocolate mousse.

8. Pour 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and the remaining 1 tsp. of peppermint extract into the chilled bowl of ganache. Whip until the mousse forms stiff peaks.

Cake Assembly

1. Unroll the cooled cake and remove the towel.  Spread a layer of chocolate ganache over the cake. Spread a layer of chocolate mousse over the top of the ganache. Gently roll the cake up and place seam side down on a platter. Spread the remaining ganache over the cake. Add a little chocolate mousse on top of cake to top it off.

3. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on top if so desired. Keep the cake chilled until ready to serve.

 

Here are a few other recipes you might enjoy.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Flourless Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Double Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

 

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Easy Homemade Gingerbread Ornaments are a fun Christmas craft to make with your family. I love how easy and kid friendly these ornament are. One batch goes a long way. This recipe can also be used to make a gingerbread house.

For a darker color gingerbread use dark brown sugar and dark syrup. When rolling out and cutting the gingerbread, make sure to keep the extra dough wrapped in plastic wrap because it will dry out quickly. If it does dry out, just place the wrapped gingerbread in the microwave for 30 seconds or until it is warm. Then continue working with the dough the same as before.

The ornaments are made the same way you make sugar cookies by rolling them out and cutting them with cookie cutters. My kids loved helping cut out all the fun shapes for their ornaments. They can be left plain or can be decorated with candy and royal icing (see recipe below). I know you will love the delicious aroma that will fill your house while you bake these ornaments.

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Carrie

Easy Homemade Gingerbread Ornaments

6 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. of cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. of ginger

1/2 tsp. of ground cloves

1/2 tsp. of salt

1 1/2 cup of corn syrup

1 1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of butter

Supplies:

Bakers twine or jute

Christmas cookie cutters

Plastic drinking straw

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350° fahrenheit

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients except for the brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter together. Constantly stir over medium-high heat until the butter is melted.
3. Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture and mix well (you may have to use your hands when dough becomes too stiff to mix).
4. Allow the dough to cool to room temperature. Roll the dough out to a 1/8″ thickness on parchment paper. Slide the parchment paper with the cookies on a baking sheet.
5. Cut the dough with cookie cutters of your choice. Press a plastic straw into the top of the ornament to make a hole.
6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Check for air bubbles during baking. If there are any air bubbles, poke them with a toothpick or press it down with your finger .
7. Slide the parchment paper with the hot ornaments onto a cooling rack. Make sure that all the ornaments lay flat. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Royal Icing

2 cups of powder sugar

1/8 tsp. of cream of tartar

3 egg whites at room temperature (or 3 tbsp. of meringue powder and 3 tbsp. of water mixed together)

Instructions

1. Sift the powder sugar to remove any lumps. Add the powder sugar and cream of tartar to egg whites while stirring.
2. When all the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer on high and beat mixture until it reaches a stiff peak.
3. Cover icing tightly with a damp cloth or plastic wrap so the icing doesn’t dry out.
4. If you would like to tint the icing, mix in a little food coloring at a time. It is best to use paste food coloring since liquid food coloring will change the consistency of the icing.

This recipe is adapted from Gingerbread Things to Make and Bake by Teresa Layman and Barbara Morgenroth

Here are a few other recipes you should try.

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Molasses Sugar Cookies

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are one of the best holiday cookies! They are soft and chewy with the perfect peppermint kick and the white chocolate is the perfect compliment. This recipe makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.  So there will be plenty of cookies to share with your family or plenty to share at your next Christmas cookie exchange party.

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These Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are the very essence of Christmas! Your kitchen will be filled with the amazing smell of Christmas as you bake your tasty gingerbread men. The cream cheese frosting is the perfect addition to the already amazing cookies.

This Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookie recipe took me 5 batches to perfect it. They were either too dry and flavorless or flat crispy and loaded with flavor. I wanted a gingerbread cookie that was moist and fluffy and packed with flavor. Five batches later, I have just that cookie. My kids were in heaven with all the cookies I was making.

So here’s to these amazing gingerbread cookies that will help make your Christmas complete!

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Carrie

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

1 cups of butter, softened

1 cup of dark brown sugar

½ cup of granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup of molasses

1 tsp. of vanilla

1 tbsp. of sour cream

4  1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp. of baking soda

½ tsp. of salt

3 tsp. of cinnamon

1  1/2 tsp. of ground ginger

2 tsp. of ground cloves

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cream butter and sugars together. Add the eggs and continue to mix until until light and fluffy.
2. Mix the molasses, sour cream, and vanilla into the egg mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix just until the flour disappears.
3. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the fridge and on a silicone mat or a light flour surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with desired cookie cutter and place on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before placing the cookies on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Decorate with cream cheese frosting. Enjoy.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 oz. of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup of butter, softened

2 cups of powder sugar

3 tbsp. of milk

1 tsp. of vanilla

Instructions

1. In a medum-sized bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the powder sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is lump free.
2. Mix in the vanilla and milk. If the frosting is too thick add an addtional tablespoon of milk.

 

Here are a few other Christmas Cookies you should try.

Double Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies

Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies with Orange Glaze

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are the best holiday treat! This recipe is easy and the cookies don’t spread and they stay soft for days. It’s a fun Christmas tradition to decorate them with the family.

Homemade Apple Pie is the best apple pie you will ever taste! Everything about this pie is amazing, from the made from scratch flaky crust, and vibrant apple filling, to the sweet glaze drizzled on top of the pie before it is baked. You won’t find a better apple pie recipe than this one!

Nothing beats Homemade Apple Pie! Especially on Thanksgiving. However, it is a pie that takes a little bit longer to make, but it is definitely well worth the time!

This Homemade Apple Pie is like the classic apple pie that your grandma use to make. The caramel sauce that it poured on top of the pie before it is baked leaves a light glaze on the top of the pie as well as a rich caramel sauce throughout the pie. It is heavenly! My favorite way to eat this pie is hot out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. But don’t take my word for it, try it out yourself.

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Carrie

Homemade Apple Pie

 

2 batches of Flaky Pie Crust recipe for a 9 inch pie pan

Apple Filling

7 medium granny smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tbsp. of lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tbsp.)

2 tsp. of cinnamon

1/8 tsp. of ground cloves

1 tbsp. of granulated sugar

1. In a large ziploc bag or bowl, toss the sliced apples with the cinnamon, cloves, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and set aside.

Pie Assembly

Preheat Oven to 425° fahrenheit

2. Prepare the flaky pie crust recipe following the instructions 1-4.

3.  Remove one of the dough discs from the refrigerator and follow steps 5-8 in the flaky pie crust recipe. Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with tin foil (for easy clean up) and add the apples to the pie, mounding slightly in the center

4. Remove the second dough disc from the refrigerator.  Unwrap the plastic wrap so that it is spread out on the counter. Place two more 12 inch sheets of plastic wrap over the top of the dough. Roll the dough out into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge. Turning clockwise and rolling to form an even circle about 1/8 of an inch thick and 11 inches in diameter.

5. Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into 1 inch strips. Lay the horizontal strips down over the pie first. Using the longest for the middle and the shortest for the end.

6. Fold every other strip back on itself. Starting in the middle, right next to the folded strip, lay a strip of dough vertically over the unfolded strips.

7. Swap the strips of dough by laying the folded strips down and fold the opposite strips over on themselves.

8. Lay another strip vertically over the horizontal strips. Making sure to leave a 1 inch space between the two vertical strips. Continue this process until you reach the edge of the pie. Then repeat on the other half on the pie and then shape edges as desired. Place the baking sheet with the pie in the fridge while you make the caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup of butter

3 tbsp. of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract

1.In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, mix the butter and flour together until the butter is melted and it forms a thick paste.

2. Stir in the water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to medium-low. Simmer the sauce for 2 more minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Remove the pie from the fridge. Pour the sauce over the top of the pie. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue to cook for an additional 30-45 minutes until the apples are soft and the pie crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool before cutting.

This recipe was adapted from Apple Pie by Grandma Ople.

Here are a few pie recipes you might enjoy.

5 Ingredient Key Lime Pie

French Silk Pie

 

Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies with Orange Glaze all of the best holiday flavors wrapped into one recipe. The pumpkin and cranberries might sound weird, but trust me, once you try them you will be hooked. The orange glaze on top acts like the cookies wing man by rounding out the flavors and make them pop. It is like a Christmas party in your mouth.

[Read more…]

 

Who can argue with anything that has “double chocolate” in the title? These cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate. As if things couldn’t get any better, it has a Candy Cane Hershey Kiss on the top. Come on, I dare you to try to stay away from these babies.

[Read more…]

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie is what makes Thanksgiving dinner complete! This pie tastes just like  your grandma’s pumpkin pie. It’s everything you have ever wanted in a classic Thanksgiving dessert!

[Read more…]

 

Banana Cream Pie is one of my favorite pies! Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without pie! This recipe makes a silky smooth vanilla custard that goes perfectly with the banana layers. Then pared with the flaky pie crust and the homemade whipped cream, you have a recipe for true happiness!

[Read more…]

Do you need an crowd pleasing cookie recipe this holiday season? Nothing screams Christmas like the heavenly combination of peppermint and chocolate. This recipe starts out with a super soft chocolate sugar cookie. Then you spread some silky smooth peppermint chocolate guanche. Next you pipe on some velvety chocolate mouse and you top it off with a sprinkling of crushed peppermint. These cookies will not disappoint! The only problem with these cookies is that they tend to bring out the selfish side in people because once you taste these babies, you will want to eat them all yourself!

[Read more…]

Here is a great recipe if you don’t like the tartness in a lemon meringue pie but love the lemon flavor. Growing up we always had a lemon meringue pie for Thanksgiving because it was one of my Dad’s favorite pies. I love lemons but the lemon meringue pies are too tart for me. When I tried this recipe, I thought it was the perfect compromise!  It is also a pretty simple pie to throw together if you are in a pinch or just don’t want to spend a lot of time making a pie. This recipe is a keeper for sure!

Until next time,

Happy Eating!

Carrie

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5 Ingredient Key Lime Pie is heaven sent! You will be floored at how such a simple recipe can taste so amazing! The filling is smooth and creamy and sets up beautifully in only 10 to 12 minutes. You can whip this 5 Ingredient Key Lime Pie up in under 20 minutes.

Key limes are hard to find where I live so I use regular limes. I also prefer to use homemade graham cracker crust and homemade whipped cream. I have included the recipes for homemade graham cracker crust and homemade whipped cream below. The homemade graham cracker crust and homemade whip cream are completely optional, you can use store bought if you prefer. It is a matter of personal preference.

I love this pie so much I created a recipe for Raspberry Custard Pie, Strawberries and Cream Bars,  Apple Pie Cream Bars, and Easy Flag Cream Bars using the base of this recipe. They are also very simple and delicious! You can find the pictures and the links to the recipes at the bottom of this page.

The most popular recipe on my site is the Italian Lemon Pound Cake, if you love the sweet and tart combination of the  5 Ingredient Key Lime Pie, you should try this cake! I promise you won’t be disappointed!

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Carrie

 

5 Ingredient Key Lime Pie

One 9- inch prepared graham cracker crust

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. sour cream

3/4 c. lime juice

1 tbsp. of fresh lime zest (about 2-3 limes), finely chopped

Directions

1. Mix the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest in a bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust.
2.  Bake the pie for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tiny little bubbles burst on the top of pie. Do not let it brown when you bake it! Chill the pie completely before serving. Garnish the pie with lime slices and whipped cream if you want.

Recipe adapted from Key Lime Pie VII  at allrecipe.com.

 

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust (Optional)

8 full sized graham crackers

1/4 cup of butter, melted

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

1. Blend the graham crackers and sugar in a food processor until it resembles sand. Add the melted butter and blend until mixed well. Firmly press the graham crackers evenly into a 9-inch pie tin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes before you fill the crust with the key lime filling.

Homemade Whipped Cream (Optional)

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. of vanilla

1 tbsp. of granulated sugar

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whip the cream, vanilla, and sugar until the cream forms stiff peaks. Add the whipped cream to the key lime pie after it has cooled completely.

 

Here are a few other recipes you should try.

Raspberry Custard Pie

Strawberries & Cream Bars

Apple Pie Cream Bars

Easy Flag Cream Bars

 

This is the kind of pie that you can use as leverage to get things done around the house. The other day when I made this, my kids were all standing around drooling and waiting for the moment that they could devour their slice. They whined when I told them that they were going to have to wait till after dinner to eat it.  It ended up working out great for me because during dinner I only had to tell them once that if they didn’t finish their food they wouldn’t get any pie. I have even considered making it every day just so I can get them to cooperate a little bit better when it comes time for homework, cleaning their room, and getting along with one another.

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