Crisscross Strawberry Pie

There are two kinds of strawberry pies: the type where the strawberries are placed uncooked (or just barely cooked) into a baked pie crust (here's one example), and the type I made here, where the strawberries are baked along with the crust.This latter pie is best for strawberries that aren't at their peak (or, if like me, you find yourself with a a lot of supermarket strawberries that look beautiful but lack the flavor of farmer's market strawberries).

Begin by hulling the strawberries. There's actually a kitchen tool for just this purpose, but eschewing single-use kitchen items, I don't have one, so I just sliced off the tops.

If the strawberries are large, either halve or quarter them. If small, you can leave them whole. Below are the sliced berries and the other filling ingredients -- flour, sugar and nutmeg -- assembled and ready to go. Combine the berries and the flour mixture in a bowl, and carefully coat the berries.

 Make your favorite double pie crust. Line a pie pan with the bottom crust and pour the filling in.

Roll out the top crust, and cut long strips for the crisscross top.

Weave the top pieces together, in an over-under method. I realized too late that I neglected to photograph this step. Place the pie on a large hotel pan or cookie sheet, which you've lined with parchment or aluminum foil -- the filling will bubble over.

Bake, cool, slice and enjoy!

Production notes: I used a homemade pie crust (recipe posted below) and an 8-inch glass pie plate. I also forgot to dot with butter - it was delicious nonetheless.

Pie Crust
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 stick of cold butter, cut into small pieces
6 T. cold Crisco, cut into pieces
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
3 - 6 T. cold water

Place dry ingredients in a food processor and whirl to blend.  Add butter and Crisco and process until it resembles cornmeal. Transfer to a round bowl, and add the water, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Blend with a fork.  When it holds together, transfer to a lightly floured surface and form a large ball. Divide in half and either roll out between two sheets of plastic wrap, or refrigerate until it's a bit firmer and then roll out.