I have been dying to make this pie ever since I discovered the recipe last summer, sadly too late for strawberry season. I love the combination of sour cream and fruit – really, REALLY love it. One of my favorite pies ever is this creme fraiche and peach pie that you know I will be making as soon as peaches are in season.
The filling is so easy it’s almost silly, but before we get to that I want to talk about this crust. This crust! First of all, can we acknowledge that that is the prettiest crust I have ever made? She’s improving, ladies and gentlemen! Part of that is due to how easy this crust is to work with. I had thought I discovered the secret to good crust two years ago with Martha Stewart’s half butter, half shortening pate brisee – BUT, then I discovered this recipe with butter and lard. Lard, folks, is the bomb. Why have I never used it before?! After all, shortening is just pretending to be lard – so why not go with the real stuff? The texture, the taste, the ease of rolling it out even when it’s cold – *sigh*. Please tell me you will make this. Seriously, go make it right now.
What was I talking about? Oh right – the filling. Equal parts flour, sugar, and sour cream – mix together, fold in strawberries. That is it, I kid you not! Then after baking until the center is (kind of) set (it’s inevitably going to be a bit runny), sprinkle the top with a bit more sugar and broil until it turns golden brown.
Yum. Oh yum. So much yum. Custardy, just a bit sour, but also sweet, rich and creamy, ooey gooey – I wish I hadn’t already eaten this whole pie by myself because I want more!
Strawberry Sour Cream Pie
Recipe from Worth the Whisk via Willow Bird Baking
*Edited on 5/12/14 to clarify crust instructions*
Pie Crust: (or you can use an unbaked, prepared crust)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold lard (non-hydrogenated if available)*
1/2 cup cold butter, chopped
at least 1/4 cup ice cold water, up to 3/4 cup
*you can substitute vegetable shortening here if you wish, but I highly recommend the lard!
Filling:
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup flour
1 1/4 cup sugar, reserve 1 tablespoon
Dash salt
1 cup sour cream (full fat)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Make the crust: mix together flour and salt to combine. Add scoops of lard and chunks of butter and cut together with a pastry knife until butter pieces are no larger than small peas. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix together. Continue adding water until the dough is just able to come together and be rolled into a ball. I use about 3/4 cup water total. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
On a floured surface, and sprinkling with flour as necessary, roll disk of dough out to around 2 inches larger than your pie plate and transfer it, situating it in the plate. Trim to 1 inch, then fold the excess dough around the edges and crimp.
Hull and wash the strawberries and slice them in half. Set aside. Sift flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add sour cream, blending until creamy. Gently fold in the berries without over-mixing. Pour fruit into pie shell and spread to edges without packing down — there should be spaces throughout the filling. Sprinkle the top with the last 1 tablespoon sugar.
Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (leave the oven door open a minute during this period to let the temperature drop a little) and bake an additional 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Broil the pie for 2-3 minutes to brown up the top. Allow to cool completely before cutting. I love this at room temp, but cold from the fridge is good too.