Strawberry Mile High Pie: A Piece of Cake #67

Come for the pie, stay for the lesson in buying strawberries.

Memorial Day is nigh, the symbolic start of the summer season. But for my purposes, it’s the start of strawberry season. I picked up my first quart of South Jersey strawberries at the Union Square Greenmarket yesterday. They did cost me a kidney (if a kidney cost $9), but it was a price I was happy to pay. 

When I’m buying local strawberries, I like to consider the weather the week prior. While this might seem excessive to the average produce consumer, I know there is nothing average about you, a subscriber to A Piece of Cake. The weather is crucial to delicate handpicked local berries. Too much rain the week prior and the berries will swell with water, diluting their sugar concentration and flavor. Too little, and they simply aren’t luscious enough. This is especially important to me when I’m buying a flat or two of strawberries for jam, which I do every June. The perfect strawberry week begins with a nice rainfall followed by 3-4 days of hot sunny weather. But enough about the Farmers’ Almanac—let’s talk about pie.

This pie was inspired by the old diner classics, as so many of my desserts are. There’s nothing like walking into a diner and being greeted by a rotating display of daily dessert offerings. And few of those offerings are as impressive, or kitschy, as the mile high pie. Whether it’s lemon meringue, chocolate silk, or apple, mile high pie is decidedly fun food. And there’s nothing I love more than taking fun food seriously. My mile high strawberry pie is a direct cousin of the chocolate silk variety, but I’ve replaced the chocolate filling with the star of the season. 

The key concepts with this pie are temperature and time. Firstly, each component has to be fully cooled prior to combining. This is therefore not a pie to make when you’re in a rush. But, time is also of the essence after you’ve completed the pie; this pie has a short shelf life. Too short in the fridge and the filling won’t set. Too long in the fridge and the crust will being to soften. I would chill it overnight if you’re taking it to a lunchtime picnic the next day, but if you’re serving this pie at dinner, I might assemble it the day of the dinner. Once the crust has softened, it’s harder to get a clean slice of the pie. It’s not the worst thing if the crust gets soft; but why not try for the best thing?

Mile Hile Strawberry Pie

For the crust 

6.5 oz graham crackers (~12 crackers, 1 ½ cups crumbs) 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt 

For the jam 

1 quart of strawberries, hulled and halved 

½ cup sugar 

2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the pie

4 egg whites 

¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar 

8 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Zest of 1 lemon

¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

4 cups heavy cream, divided 

1/3 cup sour cream 

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the crust 

1. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the crackers to fine crumbs. 

2. Add the butter, sugar, and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. 

3. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, and firmly press the crust into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. 

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes until the crust is fragrant and golden brown. Set aside and cool completely. 

Make the jam

1. Pulse the strawberries in a food processor. Transfer to a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until thick and glossy, about 8 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely 

Make the filling

1. Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, until the sugar has dissolved. Rub a bit between two fingers, if you feel grains of sugar keep going. 

2. Transfer the cooked egg mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until stiff glossy peaks form—about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool at room temperature.

3. Stir together chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water, stirring until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.  

4. Beat 2 cups of heavy cream in a stand mixer until medium peaks form but is not super stiff. 

5. Fold the chocolate mixture, lemon zest, salt, and one-third of the cooled jam into the egg white mixture until just combined but not overmixed. Fold in the whipped cream. 

Assemble the pie

1. Spread the remaining jam in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. 

2. Top the jam with the filling mixture and spread smooth with a slight mound in the center. Cover with food wrap and chill for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

3. After the pie has chilled, beat the remaining two cups of heavy cream in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat to soft peaks and add the sour cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a nice pinch of salt. Beat until stiff. 

4. Set aside a cup for piped decoration if desired. 

5. Mound the whipped cream onto the top of the pie. Decorate with a piping bag, fresh strawberries, and edible flowers, if desired. 

6. Chill until ready to serve, but not too long! 

Quick Bites: 

• The piping on this pie was very clearly inspired by Bronwen Wyatt’s gorgeous work at Bayou St Cakes. There are a host of reasons why I am so ready to visit New Orleans again, but Bronwen’s gorgeous cakes are definitely up at the top of that list.

bayousaintcake

A post shared by Bronwen Wyatt (@bayousaintcake)

• Last weekend, I checked a big one off my “Need to do” list: we went to Brimfield for the first Antique Flea Market of the year. It was everything I wanted it to be, and more. Let me know if you’re going in July; we can meet up by the fried food village.

• Tammie Teclemariam’s “The Year I Ate New York” is appointment reading in our house. Andrew and I ask each other weekly, “Did you read Tammie yet?” I’ll let Andrew take it from here. “This week’s send, ‘The Worst Steak in NYC,’ is my favorite yet. Tammie puts you right there with her: in the room, sitting at the bar, chewing along with the music, working through the steak. And there’s a magnanimity in her interview with Ernesto’s chef Ryan Bartlow that just sends you off with a smile. It makes me want to be a better writer.”

• If you’ve ever been over to my house, you know I love a candle. And if you’ve read this newsletter for a while, you know I love Big Night. So this new Dinner Party candle is an absolute need.

  bignightbk

  

  A post shared by Big Night (@bignightbk)

  

  A Piece of Cake is written by Bill Clark and edited by Andrew Spena. Photography by Hunter Abrams. Logo design by Brett LaBauve.