Bette/Betty's Strawberry Pie

As someone who has to carefully avoid dairy and wheat, I appreciate a good recipe that tastes "real" so I thought I'd share this one that I've made recently. It's a good thing I like to bake, because most of the ready-made dairy-free and gluten-free products available in stores are nasty! This one is a hybrid from Bette Hagman, Betty Crocker, and me! (modifications for dairy-free in parentheses)

Strawberry Pie
9" Baked Pie Shell*
5-6 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
3 oz. cream cheese** (Tofutti dairy-free)
(1 teaspoon vanilla)
(1 tablespoon sugar)

Bake your pie shell (regular or gluten-free). Let cool. Mash 1 cup of strawberries. Mix the sugar & cornstarch in a pan, then slowly add in the water while stirring. Stir in mashed berries and cook over med-high heat, constantly stirring. Boil and stir for one minute more. Let cool. Cream your cream cheese with a mixer (add vanilla and 1 tbs. sugar, cream together). Spread cream cheese in bottom of baked pie shell. Pour in the remaining berries into shell. Pour glaze over the berries, covering completely. Chill in refrigerator for 1 or more hours.


*Gluten Free Pie Shell
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup tapioca flour, Asian groceries or health stores have it
1 rounded teaspoon of xanthan gum, health stores have it, ESSENTIAL!
1 cup rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
4 tablespoons ice water

Pour first 3 ingredients in a bowl or gallon bag and mix well. Measure out 2-1/4 cups into a bowl, stir in xanthan gum, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening until reduced to crumbles. Beat the egg and vinegar together and pour in to dry ingredients, pour in ice water. Mix with a fork until a ball forms, use your fingers for only a minute to knead and smooth into a clean ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Take out and roll out as usual for a piecrust, using remaining flour mix on board and pin to dust (this will make 2 shells! Wrap one and freeze after baking.) Prick with a fork and bake shells for 10-12 minutes in a 450 oven.