If you have been following along this summer, then you know that cream pies are at every turn. We have learned to make Vanilla Cream Tart with Fresh Fruit, Chocolate Cream Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, and Lemon Cream Pie!

This week I am finishing my summer pie series with Strawberry Cream Pie. This pie is equal parts beautiful and delicious and is a delight to serve. It’s so pretty!!

Strawberry Cream Pie begins with a press-in pretzel crust, although you could choose any type of crumb from the Press-In Crust Guide. I have often wondered how this would taste with an Oreo crust. (If you give that a try, let me know!)

The strawberry pastry cream is made with strawberry milk and then enhanced with strawberry jam and cream cheese. The jam delivers a punch of berry flavor, and the cream cheese keeps the finished pie from being too cloyingly sweet. I also add a few drops of food coloring to the pastry cream because, like it or not, pale pink strawberry milk and yellow egg yolks result in a filling that is an unappealing peachy-beige color. If you are opposed to food dye, then leave it out, but two drops will amp up the pink color of the filing.

To finish it off, I add a layer of sliced fresh strawberries for good measure. Then I dot the top with poofs of homemade whipped cream for a particularly pretty presentation. You can just as easily apply the whipped cream with a spatula, but if you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at a pastry bag, this is a great reason to give it a go!

A final note. If you can’t find strawberry milk in your grocery store, try your local donut shop or convenience store. They tend to be a unexpectedly great source for strawberry milk!

Ingredients

for the crust…

1 1/4 cups finely ground pretzel crumbs 5 ounces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons 1/2 cup, 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

for the filling…

2 cups strawberry milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons
pinch of Kosher salt
5 egg yolks
3 tablespoons corn starch
4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a few drops of red or pink food coloring if desired

for serving…

1 pound fresh strawberries
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter, stirring until evenly mixed. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your desired pie or tart pan.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the filling.
To make the filling, heat the strawberry milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and the Kosher salt over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pay attention to the milk as it heats. You want it to be steaming, and just on the verge of simmering, but not actively boiling or bubbling.
While the milk mixture heats, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, the egg yolks, and the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Very gently combine with a whisk until the cornstarch is incorporated, then whisk vigorously for at least 1 minute until the mixture is pale yellow and expanded in volume.
Once the milk mixture is steaming, add one ladle of milk to the egg yolk mixture, and stir to combine. Repeat this two more times, until about half of the hot milk mixture has been added to the eggs.
Pour the now-warm egg yolk mixture back into the pot with the remaining milk, and begin to whisk constantly. At this point, you are looking for a bubble to burst on the surface, the first sign that the mixture has reached its thickening point, but you really must keep whisking to prevent the bottom from scalding. Take a three second break to look for bubbles, and then continue whisking.
Once you see a bubble burst on the surface, set a timer (or count in your head) for one minute. Whisk constantly during this minute! Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream cheese, strawberry jam, vanilla, and food coloring (if you are using it), continuing to whisk until the cream cheese is completely incorporated.
Pour the hot pastry cream into the prepared crust, smooth it out evenly, and then top with a sheet of plastic wrap directly touching the filling. Refrigerate until firm, at least four hours, or up to two days.
To finish the pie, slice fresh strawberries and arrange them in a thin layer on top of the strawberry cream filling.
To make the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed to carefully incorporate the sugar, then switch to high speed and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Slather the whipped cream on top of the fresh strawberries, slice, and enjoy!

Notes

When developing this recipe, I had the most success with Borden’s Strawberry Milk. It is the sweetest and has a distinct strawberry flavor. If you cannot find Borden’s, any brand will work.

Strawberry Cream Pie