This pie is the best pie ever.
I know that’s a bold statement, but I am telling you the truth. This strawberry cream pie is just the best. It’s simple, seasonal, and it’s absolutely beautiful.
Northwest strawberries are at the peak of their season right now, and so they are remarkably plump, sweet, and juicy. They don’t need any doctoring or sweeteners, they are perfect just as they are. They are especially perfect when piled atop a sweet cream filling and a homemade almond and graham cracker crust.
This pie is essentially a no-bake pie. The only thing that requires baking is the crust, which bakes for a whopping 12 minutes. The pie comes together quickly and painlessly, and the end result is marvelous. I mean it when I say this pie is perfect. I cannot stress that point enough.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 1 package graham crackers (or 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- The zest of 1 lemon
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and sliced in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9″ pie pan.
- In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers and almonds, until they are fine crumbs. Pour the crumb mixture into a bowl, and stir in the melted butter, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Mix until the crumb mixture is moistened. Press the mixture evenly into the pie pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Once the crust is cooled, prepare the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, mascarpone, powdered sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Gently stir in the lemon zest.
- Gently spread the filling over the graham cracker crust. Place sliced berries atop the cream mixture. (You can artfully arrange them, but I prefer just to heap them on top.) Chill pie for 6-8 hours before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Cookooree.com