Strawberry Chocolate Pie

In the movie Waitress, Wednesday is Strawberry Chocolate Pie ay. Well… this year Pi day, March 14th (get it… 3.14) falls on a Friday.

Now, the way I see it, the stars are only slightly misaligned, and there is only one thing to do.

Make a Strawberry Chocolate Pie anyway.

This recipe might take a little longer than mix, roll, fill, bake, but it is well worth it (and you can read a magazine between steps.)

Simple Pie Crust, a layer of dark Chocolate Ganache, topped with a layer of lightly sweetened Cream Cheese, then MOUNDS of Fresh Strawberries covered in a sweet Strawberry Glaze.

(Yum)

Don’t be daunted by the steps… just take it one at a time.

Start by baking a basic pie crust in a pie pan. Go ahead and dust off Aunt Edna’s famous pie crust recipe… or pick one up in the freezer department of your grocery store… up to you.

Into the baked crust goes a layer of ganache (I made it with Dove Chocolate for extra richness)… then a layer of cream cheese (you can use low-fat, but, umm…. why?)… and finally, fresh strawberries covered in a home made strawberry glaze. Stick it in the refrigerator, and a few hours later, you have a marvelous dessert.

Pull up a chair, grab a fork, and prepare to make your day special.

Serves: You, and anyone you want to share with.

 Strawberry Chocolate Pie Recipe

Prep time 1 hour (if you do steps while other steps are cooling)

Total Time: 7 hours (6 hour chill time)

Ingredients

Baked Pie Crust

3 oz. Dark Chocolate

1 Tbl Heavy Cream

4 oz. Cream Cheese (yes low fat is ok)

1 Tbl Heavy Cream

2 tsp Sugar

1 1/2 Pounds Strawberries sliced

1/2 cup Sugar

1.2 cup Water

1 Tbl Cornstarch

Instructions

Make sure your pie crust is baked. You can use any standard pie crust recipe you like, just be sure to let it cool.

Put the good quality Dark Chocolate into a microwave safe bowl (I use a Pyrex measuring cup), add a Tablespoon of Heavy Cream, and melt them together in the microwave. Usually takes about a minute… stir until it is a smooth Ganache.

Spread the Ganache over the bottom of the baked pie crust. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Whip the cream cheese with cream and sugar until smooth.

When the ganache has set (after 30 min), spread the cream cheese filling over it,

Slice the strawberries into slices.

Put 3/4 cup of the Berries into a saucepan with the sugar, water and cornstarch. Use a potato masher to mush up the berries. Cook until the mixture boils, stirring and mashing all the while. Let boil for one minute. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and set in the fridge to cool for 10 minutes.

While it’s cooling….

Artfully put the rest of the strawberries over the cream cheese layer… make it look pretty (but don’t go nuts). Cover all of the Cream Cheese.

After 10 minutes in the fridge, you can pour the strawberry mixture over the sliced strawberries. DON”T LET IT OVERFLOW!!

Now the hard part.

Put it back into the refrigerator.. and walk away for 6 hours. (I know, but you CAN do this)

Bing

Take the pie out of the fridge… grab a fork…. find a quiet place…. and find happiness.

enjoy!

Step By Step Instructions for those Who Like Visual Aids

Melt Dark Chocolate with Cream

Stir until Smooth

Spread the Ganache into the Bottom of the Pie Crust

Whip Cream Cheese, Heavy Cream and a Bit of Sugar until Smooth

Spread Cream Cheese Mixture Over the Chocolate

Slice the Strawberries

Mash 3/4 Cup of the Strawberries, with 1/2 cup water,

1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch 

Use a potato masher… mush up, stir, bring to a boil

Artfully Spread the Rest of the Strawberries over the Cream Cheese Layer

Pour Cooled Strawberry Stuff over the Fresh Strawberries

Now Cool the Pie in the Fridge for 6 Hours

I know, I know, but it needs to set up (If you don’t care how it looks… you can dive in now)

This quote by Andy Griffith in “Waitress” made me NEED to eat this pie!

“Nobody in the world can make strawberry chocolate pie like you. Wednesday is my favorite day of the week just cause I get to have me a slice of it. I think about it as I’m waking up. It could solve all the problems of the world, that pie. It’s a thing of beauty how each flavor opens itself, one by one, like a chapter in a book. First, the flavor of an exotic spice hits ya. Just a hint of it and then you get flooded with the chocolate, dark and bittersweet like an old love affair..and finally – strawberry – strawberry the way it was always supposed to taste like but never could….”

Andy Griffith in Waitress