Fresh Strawberry Pie

Fresh strawberries top a lightly sweet cream cheese filling in this lightened-up pie recipe. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream for a delicious and photo-worthy finish.

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white whole-wheat flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 3-4 tablespoons ice water
• Filling
• 2 pounds strawberries, sliced (about 5 cups), divided

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

• Prep
  45 m
• Ready In
  6 h

1. To prepare crust: Mix flour and salt in a large bowl or food processor. Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender, two knives or by pulsing in the food processor, until the butter forms pebble-size pieces with the flour. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is evenly moist (but not wet) and is just starting to clump together, being careful not to overmix. Pat the dough into a 5-inch disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before rolling out.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper into a 12- to 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Remove the second sheet. Tuck the overhanging dough under, forming a double-thick edge. Crimp the edge with your fingers, a fork or spoon. Prick the crust with a fork several times.
4. Bake the crust until barely golden brown on the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, to prepare filling: Puree 1¾ cups strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Whisk sugar, water and cornstarch in a medium saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the strawberry puree. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let cool for 30 minutes.
6. Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread evenly in the bottom of the baked crust.
7. Add the remaining sliced strawberries to the cooled strawberry mixture; gently stir to combine. Pour the filling into the crust. Refrigerate until cold and the filling is set, about 4 hours.

• To make ahead: Refrigerate crust for up to 2 days.
• Equipment: 9-inch pie pan (not deep-dish), parchment paper.