Fresh Strawberry Pie with Coconut Oil Crust

First of all, I hope everyone has had a peaceful and meaningful Memorial Day today.  I grew up on military bases, and am still around them and their families on an almost daily basis.  I'm honored to know so many great military members.  

It seems like Memorial Day means it is finally summertime, so I wanted to share this strawberry pie with you. These delicious strawberries were not local, but imported from Spain.  (So, as "close" as we can get to local....lol!  Just a few hundred miles away by plane....)  Anyway, they were delicious, and strawberries have been scarce here this year, so I'm just happy to see them from anywhere at this point.  Can't wait for the local ones though; they are so good!!  I hope I don't miss the small window for them.

Since we're moving, I didn't replace my usual organic shortening when I ran out, so I couldn't make my usual pie crust; my mom's recipe that is my go-to.  I made the same filling recipe as in that post; just a different crust; I used coconut oil instead of shortening! And we all loved it.  My boys aren't crazy about coconut in things, but they had no idea there was coconut oil in here, and I used virgin oil (has a stronger coconut flavor).  You can see my pie crust shrank some while blind-baking it, but I nobody really cares about that; this is delicious.  (I'm a rebel and never use pie weights- oh my!)

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Coconut Oil Pie Crust

adapted from here and Baking Bites

1 baked coconut oil pie crust (single), recipe follows
1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) strawberries, hulled
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened (I just used 1/2 block- 4 oz.)

1. In small bowl, mash enough strawberries to measure 1 cup. In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup water and mashed strawberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute; cool.

2. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Spread evenly in cooled pie crust. Top with remaining strawberries. Pour cooked strawberry mixture over top. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Store in refrigerator.

Coconut Oil Pie Crust
One 9-inch single crust
from Baking Bites

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature
4-7 tbsp water, cold

1.  Whisk together flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.  Rub in coconut oil with your fingertips or a pastry blender, pressing it into the flour mixture and breaking it up, until mixture resemble very coarse sand and no pieces larger than a pea remain.

2.  Using a fork, stir in cold water until dough almost comes together into a ball. Add water gradually, a tablespoon or two at a time. Press dough into a ball with your hands and wrap in plastic.  Chill for at least 60 minutes before using.

(To bake crust for Strawberry Pie, roll out on a floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie pan.  Bake at 425 F for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Cool before proceeding with recipe.)
*Makes crust for one 9-inch pie.  Recipe can be doubled for a double crust.

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