Wash and slice or dice your berries, except the raspberry as it will disintegrate with too much water or being soaked in water. Once you have our berries ready place in a bowl. Depending on how much berries you plan to use, you will want to measure out between an 1/8 to 1/4 cup of honey or agave syrup and pour over your berries and mix well to evenly distribute the honey or agave syrup. Place in refrigerator till ready to eat. 

So next time your craving a ” strawberry shortcake”  or “angel food cake with strawberries on top”, try adding a variety of berries, a little honey or agave syrup and indulge in a treat you can feel good about!

Preview of tomorrow’s post.
Chocolate Angel Food Cake W/Mixed Berries and Cream

Berry Season is Pure Awesomness

Now go read some menus and get some ideas for things to make at home.

Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies             Printer-Friendly Recipe

From: Cookies & Cups
Makes 24 Whoopie Pies (*original recipe says 12)

Ingredients:

Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 eggs
4 1/4 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp vanilla

Filling

10 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp heavy cream
2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
1 pint strawberries, sliced thinly

Directions:

Cookies

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats and preheat your oven to 400°.

Add the room temperature butter and sugar to a mixing bowl.  On medium-speed, cream the ingredients together for about 1 minute.  With the mixer on low-speed, add the baking powder, salt, and eggs.  Turn the speed up to medium and mix until the batter is smooth.  While the batter is mixing, combine your vanilla and milk in a bowl.  Turn the mixer to low and add the flour and vanilla milk, alternating as you go, starting and ending with the flour.  Mix the ingredients until they are just combined.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon, drop the dough onto the baking sheets by the tablespoon.  Keep the dough mounds about 2 inches apart from one another.  Flatten the dough slightly.  Transfer your baking sheets to the oven and bake for 10-11 minutes or until the tops are set and the cookies have started to turn golden.  Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Filling

For the filling, add your room temperature butter and vanilla to a mixer and cream together for 2 minutes.  Turn your mixer to low and carefully add 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and heavy cream.  Beat for about 3 minutes.  If you want a thicker filling, add up to a 1/2 cup more of powdered sugar.  Mix until smooth.

Assembling the Whoopie Pies

Spread 1-2 tablespoons of filling onto the bottom of each cookie.  Top half of the cookies with strawberry slices, about 1 medium strawberry per cookie.  Top the strawberry topped cookies with the berry-less cookies to form sandwiches.

Add butter and sugar to a mixing bowl.

Cream together for 1 minute.

Add baking powder.

Add salt.

Add 3 eggs. Mix until smooth.

Add vanilla (clear, in my case) to milk.

Alternate adding the flour and milk to the mixture. Start and end with flour.

Next add a little bit of vanilla milk.

Add more flour. Continue until you’ve added all of the 4/14 cups of flour and 1 cup + 1 tbsp of vanilla.

Mix until combined.

Scoop your batter by the tablespoon onto your prepared baking sheets. The original recipe said it would make 12 pies, but as you can see I somehow ended up with twice as much batter! The more pies the merrier.

Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

For your filling, add the butter and vanilla (clear for me) to a mixing bowl.

Cream together and then slowly add 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.

Also add your heavy cream. If needed, add more powdered sugar for a thicker consistency.

Mix until smooth.

Wash your berries!

I used about 1 medium strawberry for each whoopie pie. Hull and slice each berry.

Spread the filling on each cookie. Top one cookie with strawberries and then add another top to make your whoopie pies. Having the filling on both sides of the cookie will help the strawberries stick.

Whoopie!!

Enjoy!

Makes: 1 big ol’ pitcher

Need:

12 cups water

7 tea bags (I used Lipton black tea pyramids)

1 orange

1.5 cup strawberries (sliced)

4 tbsp sugar

1 chunk of ginger root

How To:

1. In a large glass pitcher, combine your water and tea bags.

2. Slice your orange up and throw it in with the water.

3. Dump in the sliced strawberries.

4. Grate some ginger root over a coffee filter and close the filter. I twisted mine and used a paper clip to bind it. Put the filter envelope in with the tea as well.

5. Let brew in the sun for 3-4 hours.

6. Remove orange slices and add in sugar to taste. You can save the slices to serve as garnish.

7. Optional: crush some ice with some mint to put in your glass before drinking. I did it. It’s worth it.

8. Enjoy!

As you enjoy warmer weather this spring and with summer just around the corner, start your day bright with a Sunrise Smoothie.  Grab this season’s sweetest strawberries and make yourself a refreshing, nutritious treat in just minutes…

Sunrise Smoothie

Yields 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 banana, peeled, sliced

2 cups strawberries (10-12 pcs), washed, stems removed, cut in half

1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (1-2 oranges)

1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

2 tbsp honey

2 cups crushed ice

What you need:

Blender

Cutting Board

Knife

Directions:

Place fruit, orange juice, yogurt, honey and ice in blender.  Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

I started with some Earl Grey Green this morning, and some applesauce to fuel me through my run.

My run was pretty good. I had three miles on the agenda and I made it through with negative splits:

My run was pretty hilly, but I didn’t really feel the hills.

The rest of this week I am tapering for my 5K on Memorial Day, so I’ve got a very relaxing week ahead of me…I might do some cross-training just for fun. Strength workouts? Yeah, probably should.

Post-run oatmeal was quite delicious. Strawberries and cream:

I made whipped banana oatmeal and stirred in some sliced strawberries at the end and finished it with a little bit of cream.

This was one heavenly bowl of oatmeal.

Served with iced coffee:

After breakfast, I picked up my brother from school. I let him drive home part of the way (he just turned 16) and then we decided to do something crazy: Go take his driver’s license test! After a lot of coordinating, we headed out to the testing site.

He drove the whole way there and did really well, but unfortunately he didn’t pass. The good news is most of the stuff he missed is really easy to fix, so I’m sure he’ll pass next time. Plus, there seems to be a bias against teenage boys who take the test (many of his friends did not pass on their first try either).

I brought my lunch with me because I wasn’t hungry when we left:

Cheddar and jam sandwich with greens:

And some homemade lemon-thyme white bean dip! Super garlic-y…good thing Allen is in Columbia this week.

Carrots for dipping:

And pita chips:

And a sweet nectarine for dessert:

Yum!

This afternoon I didn’t do much, and soon enough it was time for dinner! I made a rice-and-beans bowl with lots of toppings!

The beans were canned black beans heated with some chicken stock, chili powder, onion powder and cumin. Super simple! And I just cooked brown rice in my rice cooker.

Lots of toppings:

Cherry tomatoes, cheese, lettuce and green onions.

All of this was going to become a burrito, but I ended up snacking on a tortilla before dinner instead.

Tonight there’s another late Cardinals game I probably won’t make it through, and I’ll probably find myself a little something sweet to eat. Maybe cookies? Maybe a banana smoothie? Many possibilities…

Tomorrow? Bento!

Ingredients: makes 3 large waffles

• 2 cups coconut flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cup fresh blue berries
• 1/3  cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbs psyhillium husk

Optional: Sliced strawberries and a nice dollop of greek yogurt. Maybe drizzle a bit of pure organic maple syrup if you’re feeling a bit adventurous.

Directions:

Ingredients
125g butter
200g granulated sugar
2 eggs
180g self-raising flour
150ml semi-skillmed milk
175g icing sugar
2 tablespoons of water
Zest of 1/4 lemon
5 strawberries

I preheated the oven to gas mark 4 and greased one 20cm baking tin with butter, covering the base with a circle of greaseproof paper. I then creamed together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl before beating in the two eggs (one at a time). I added a little milk then a little flour, and so on until I had used all the milk and flour. I then added the zest of quarter of a lemon, as well as three chopped up strawberries, to the mixture. I poured the mixture into the cake tin and put in the oven to bake for twenty minutes. When I checked on the cake the skewer test worked, so I removed from the oven and left the cake on the side to cool for a good twenty minutes.

The cake looked and smelled delicious and I was tempted to just dust with a little icing sugar, but I still had some strawberries to use up so opted for the original plan of drizzly icing and fresh strawberries. I mixed 175g of icing sugar with about two tablespoons of water – making sure I carefully added the water just a few drops at a time to get the right consistency. After a good mix I drizzled the icing over the cake, starting in the centre and working out to the sides. I then cut two strawberries into four pieces each and arranged on top of the cake.

This cake was really easy to make and pretty quick too. The initial preparation of the cake mixture took just twenty minutes and then it was just a matter of baking for twenty minutes, cooling for twenty minutes and then preparing the icing and decoration, which took – you guessed it – about twenty minutes. It tasted lovely and moist and with a hint of lemon but a definite strawberry taste throughout… and I think I may just have found my signature sponge cake.

Fresh cut salsa typifies the notion that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious. I love how the ripe tomatoes, cilantro, the mild bite of sweet onion and fresh lime juice come together and form something so bright and balanced on my taste buds. The salsa in this post deviates from the traditional by replacing tomatoes with strawberries, whose juicy sweetness is tempered perfectly by lime juice, minced shallot and jalapeno. It tastes great with tortilla chips (of course) or tossed into a green salad, but here I’ve made it into a nice light lunch and served it over baked polenta wedges – golden and crispy on the outside; warm and tender of the inside. Our vacation is still merely a dot on the horizon, but dishes such a this will do a decent job of tiding me over

• 1/2 cup cucumber, skin and seeds removed and diced small
• 1/2 cup strawberries, diced small
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced small
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

Prepare Salsa

1. Place lime juice and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Add cucumber, strawberries, cilantro, jalapeno and shallot to bowl and gently toss until everything is combined.
3. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator until needed.

Prepare Baked Polenta Wedges

1. Lightly grease an 8×8 pan with olive oil and set aside.
2. Place almond milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Whisk in cornmeal then switch to a spoon as mixture thickens. Stir until liquid is fully absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and stir in margarine and nutritional yeast (or parmesan), and a bit of salt and pepper.
5. Immediately transfer polenta to prepared pan and smooth top with a wet spatula.
6. Place in refrigerator for 45 minutes, or until firm.
7. While polenta is in fridge lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
8. Once polenta is firm, remove from fridge and preheat oven to 375F.
9. Flip polenta onto a cutting board and cut into wedges.
10. Transfer polenta wedges onto prepared baking sheet and brush tops with a bit of olive oil.
11. Place in oven for 45 minutes or until tops are crispy and golden brown.

Assemble

• Transfer polenta wedges to serving plates and top each portion with a few scoops of salsa. Eat!

You might also like:

• White Bean and Leek Stew with Fresh Herbs | Served on Creamy Polenta
• Avocado and Mango Salad Sandwich | With Sauteed Baby Arugula

When you think you cannot take another step
Remember
The salmons’ trek upstream to lay eggs.

When you cannot bear the pain of this world
Remember
There are always hot fudge sundaes

When the light of passion has extinguished
Remember
There are flowers, dance, music and art

Always Remember
To feed your soul
And seek the light

Eat ALL the fruit!

I love strawberries. So. Much. I also like anything strawberry flavored, so keep that in mind around holidays and my birthday. 

So lately, as you know, I’ve been super into getting healthy, so I’ve been eating way more fruits and veggies. For breakfast, I’ve been eating toast with sunflower seed butter (it is from the gods, I swear – lighter than peanut butter, so much better) and sliced strawberries on top. Weird sounding, I know, but absolutely delicious and full of protein and awesome. Don’t go too crazy with the sunflower butter, cuz it’s pretty fatty, but it’s the same as peanut butter so I figure I might as well go for it.

Also, Morning Star Black Bean Chipotle burgers. AHHHHHHHH. They’re totally veggie, but I’m not vegetarian and even I like them better than a real burger. They’re a bit spicy and really surprisingly juicy.

Anyway, eat these things. Your life will improve, I swear.

Luscious in color and bright in flavor, this refreshing strawberry agua fresca makes the perfect summer drink. Agua fresca is Spanish for “fresh water” and this beverage is just that — light and fresh! With its ease of preparation and its ability to be made ahead, this beverage invokes effortless summer entertaining. Try adding a splash of tequila to make an easy strawberry margarita or try experimenting with other flavors, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, or cucumber. This agua fresca will make you long for the hot days of summer!

Strawberry Agua Fresca
Cooking Light, May 2005

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
6 cups hulled fresh strawberries
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

Directions:
1. Combine water and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2. Place strawberries in a blender, and process until smooth.
3. Combine the sugar mixture, strawberry puree, and juice; stir well.

Yield: 8 cups (serving size 1-1/3 cups)

Linnell’s Notes:
1. I used Splenda in place of sugar with great results. Because the strawberries I had were farm-ripe sweet, I used less sweetener than the recipe called for. The original recipe states that there are 71 calories per serving, so by substituting Splenda, there will be even fewer calories!

2. Because the two limes I had yielded only 1/8 cup juice, I added 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice to the mix.

3. This beverage should be served well-chilled.

Enjoy!

Strawberries are high in bioflavonoids that protect the cells of the liver. The whole plant can also be made into a medicine that is good for restoring digestive health.

Spring has finally arrived!  I don’t usually find myself waiting until the end of May to say this, but I think the snows are finally behind us, and the garden is planted.  Now that the weather has warmed somewhat, our bodies are also starting to warm and be ready for the exercise and outdoor activities of summer.  In addition to getting our bodies into ideal shape for the summer through exercise, we can also help to boost vitality through cleansing.  For more information on what spring cleaning and detoxification is, you can look at my article “What is Detoxification?” from last spring. There are many detoxification protocols out there, and finding the right one will depend on your constitution, health status, and commitment to the program.  However, an easy first step is to start incorporating detoxifying foods into each meal using the basic theory of detoxification: improve elimination of waste through optimizing the function of the digestive tract, urinary tract, skin and liver.  Here is a list of my top ten favorites:

10. Garlic

Garlic can help to reduce blood triglycerides and improve circulation and sweating to remove wastes via the skin. It also helps stimulate digestion.

9.  Apples

Apples are a great source of insoluble and soluble fibers.  The insoluble fiber helps to move waste through the digestive tract. When cooked, the pectins found in apples help to absorb excess cholesterol, delay absorption of sugars into the bloodstream, and bulk the stool.

8.  Dandelion Greens

Dandelion greens, which are commercially available in many areas, act as a diuretic to help remove wastes through the urine.  The beauty of dandelion greens is that they also replace any minerals lost through the process of diuresis.

7.  Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are thought of as one of the least allergenic foods available.  Unless you have an intolerance to all carbohydrate, sweet potatoes are a good source of lower glycemic carbohyrates that help to soothe the digestive tract and decrease inflammation.

6.  Cilantro

Cilantro and its seed coriander are calming to the digestion and help to dispel gas.  Cilantro also helps to convert blood cholesterols into bile which can aid in reducing blood cholesterol levels.  Cilantro extracts have also been shown to remove mercury from a water solution, so there is speculation about whether cilantro could aid in mercury detoxification when consumed.

5.  Seaweed

Hijiki, Wakame, and Kombu (all types of seaweed) have all been shown to increase breakdown of fats in the body.  Seaweeds are also a good source of iodine, which is necessary for proper thyroid function.  These two actions together help to boost metabolism and removal of excess fats from the system.  Traditional Chinese Medicine also regards seaweed as a detoxifier which mobilizes heavy metals and turns them into inorganic salts that can easily be excreted through the urine.

4.  Lemon

Lemon and lemon juice are wonderfully bitter and sour.  Taken especially before meals, they help to start the digestive process early, which makes the digestive absorb nutrients and eliminate wastes more effectively.

3.  Kale

Kale and other members of the cabbage family contain indoles, which help the body metabolize and remove excess steroid hormones such as estrogen. Members of this family have also been found to repair damage to the liver.  Kale is also high in fiber and chlorophyll to increase energy and optimize digestion.

2.  Flax

Flaxseed is high in omega 3 fatty acids, which help to balance cholesterol and reduce inflammation.  Even more important for detoxification though is the high concentration of soluble fibers that help to trap excess fats and cholesterol, bulk the stool, and ensure effective elimination of waste via the digestive tract.

1.  Beets

There is extensive research supporting the protective and regenerative effect of beets on the cells of the liver.  This effect has even been seen with molasses derived from sugar beets.  The pigments in beets have also been shown to have a protective effect against the formation of cancer cells. Beets are also great for assisting with effective waste elimination through the bowels.

]]> http://betsysgardenjournal.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/521/ Tue, 21 May 2013 19:57:13 +0000 Betsy http://betsysgardenjournal.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/521/

Flower seedlings sprouting around my raised beds; marigolds sprouting; a radish that is actually looking like a radish!; carrots sprouting their frondy tops; purple cauliflower taking on a lovely deep purple color even in its leaves; cabbage starting to curl its leaves.

Rhubarb!; strawberries looking promising despite severe neglect; pepper plants budding; cilantro thriving and having been severely pruned already; beautiful lily of the valley blooming in the front yard; my new Quickfire hydrangea leafing out beautifully.

I think my poor partner is getting tired of hearing me talk about my weight, but I am pretty self-conscious right now so I guess I will just have to be patient, keep the bad stuff out of my diet and carry on exercising!!

In other news I have been watching Once Upon A Time on tv; I tend to watch this while I exercise to keep my mind off of the time. One of the newest characters that has been introduced is Captain Hook!! It’s so fun watching this show and guessing new characters to see who they are going to end up being:
Sexiest Captain Hook I ever did see!!! Puurrrrrrrrrrrrr… Must be the earring and eyeliner, so dangerous looking!!! Guess I best get on with my exercising and watching the next episode of OUAT!! Shame Hook got a little tied up, I don’t think we will be seeing much of him in the next episode…

Starbucks Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Syrup
16 oz Strawberries, hulled
Sugar to taste

For the Frappucino
1 cup Whole Milk
3/4 cups softened Vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup Strawberry Syrup (either make your own or use store bought!)
5-6 Whole Strawberries, chopped finely
2-3 ice cubes
Whipped Cream (optional)

Directions

Make the Strawberry Syrup:
Note: You may also use store-bought syrup!

Chop the stem (hull) off the strawberries. You can then do a coarse chop or quarter the berries.

Place them in a colander and rinse them gently under cold water. You can wash them first and then chop if you like.

Drain the water well and place the berries in a saucepan. Cook them in medium heat. Give it a stir now and then. (After around 5 minutes you will find the berries releasing their juices.)

After around 15 minutes of cooking, add some sugar to taste.

Let cook for another 5 minutes and then wait until sauce has cooled.

Strain the sauce into another bowl pressing the fruit well to give more syrup.PS: Store remainder of strawberry syrup in an airtight container. You can use the fruit pulp in another recipe (pancakes, waffles, cakes, muffins etc)

Make the Frappuccino:
Add rest of the ingredients along with your strawberry syrup (other than the whipped cream and chopped strawberries) in a blender. Give it a whirl until blended.

Drop some of the chopped strawberries in a serving glass and pour the blended mixture into it.

Add some whipped cream on top if desired and serve chilled.

So anyway, after talking about this recipe with her for a few days and accidentally clicking on it three different times on pinterest, I decided it was time to give it a try.

I didn’t have any watermelon, but I had some beautiful fresh, local strawberries and some of my all-time favorite local goat cheese that I’d picked up at the market, so I adapted a little and it turned out SO good!! I have a feeling I’ll be making this a lot this summer!

STRAWBERRY BASIL QUINOA SALAD - inspired by edible perspective

Serves 2 as a main OR 4-5 as a side 

INGREDIENTS:

1 (dry) cup quinoa – I actually used a mix of farro & quinoa

2 cups water + pinch of salt

1/4 cup goat cheese

1 small container**, or 1/2 large container of fresh strawberries – sliced thinly 

**(That’s a really exact measurement, I know, I know. I guess I used about 1.5 cups once they were all cut up? But you could do as little or as much as you wanted!) 

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil - cut into thin ribbons, or “chiffonade” for all you pros out there

your favorite balsamic vinegar - I used an espresso balsamic and it was AWESOME!

 

DIRECTIONS:

1 – Bring 2 cups water + pinch of salt to a boil. Whisk in your quinoa, let it return to a boil then turn it down to a simmer and cover. Cook according to directions (mine was “10 minute quinoa” but some require more time). Basically, you want the water to absorb but don’t let it burn on the bottom.

2 – Meanwhile, if you haven’t cut up your strawberries or basil, now is a good time do that. Already did that? Congratulations! Pour yourself a celebratory glass of wine for making the least difficult dinner ever!

3 – Once your quinoa is cooked, I’d suggest transferring it into a mixing bowl to let it cool for a bit (this is better at room temperature, or cold). Now where’s your wine glass….

4 – Combine your cooked quinoa, olive oil, strawberries and a little salt + freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Throw in your goat cheese….keep tossin’…..and lastly throw in your basil.

Serve with a heavy drizzle of your favorite balsamic on top (or you can add it ahead of time…it just looks prettier that way). And DON’T YOU SKIP THIS STEP! The balsamic totally brings the flavors all together. We can all thank Maggie for that suggestion!

This was seriously the easiest thing ever. It made a really satisfying dinner last night, and a great lunch for today! The good thing about this type of salad is how versatile it is. You could substitute feta, mozzarella, or burrata for the goat cheese. You could throw some fresh mint in there if you haven’t killed your mint plant like I have. And of course, like the recipe that inspired this, you could add some watermelon!

Ahhhhhh, summer recipes…you’re such a welcome change from all the greens and root veggies I’ve been eating all winter! Can’t wait to take this recipe to a cookout!

Have a Happy Tuesday, y’all! 

]]> http://amandamarkel.com/2013/05/21/tasty-tuesday-strawberries-and-cream-pie/ Tue, 21 May 2013 16:24:02 +0000 amandamarkel http://amandamarkel.com/2013/05/21/tasty-tuesday-strawberries-and-cream-pie/ This was the pie I made for our Pentecost celebration this year, and it was so delicious, Turkey decided that it’s now tied with the S’mores pie as his favorite!

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 tsp shortening
• 1 Oreo or chocolate pie crust
• 1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

Melt chocolate chips with shortening over low heat. Pour into bottom of pie crust and chill until firm.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour over chocolate in pie crust. Refrigerate overnight.
Before serving, arrange strawberries over the top of the pie. Drizzle with additional chocolate, if desired.

Like every other baker in the history of ever, I adore the movie Waitress, if not only for the delightfully quirky comedy or the lush scenes of melted chocolate pouring nearly erotically into perfectly formed pie crusts (seriously), but for the moments of stillness and calm provided by the profoundly simple act of baking a pie for someone you love. Very few moments in film stop and dwell in this world in quite the same way, and for those of us who revel in recreating these moments in our everyday lives — whether it be through baking, sewing, knitting, gardening, carpentry, book-binding, calligraphy, fly fishing…or whatever nerdy thing you can’t live without — the art of the handmade often lies not in the product, but the process. The few perfect moments you get to spend when you aren’t thinking about your bank statement or your job or the vacuuming that desperately needs to be done, and it’s just you and the craft.

In this movie, there is a holy grail of pie, the Strawberry Chocolate Oasis Pie. Now, we never really see this pie or hear the ingredients mentioned in any real way, but, again, like all bakers in the history of ever, I just had to make one. Here’s the clues we have to go on, succinctly put by Andy Griffith: “It could solve all the problems of the world, that pie. A thing of beauty. How each flavor opens itself one by one, like a chapter in a book. First, the flavor of an exotic spice hits you, just the hint of it. And then you’re flooded with chocolate, dark and bittersweet, like an old love affair. And finally strawberry, the way strawberry was always supposed to taste but never knew how.”

How do you resist that challenge? You can’t! You buy some baking chocolate and some strawberries, and you get to it.

My version of the Strawberry Chocolate Oasis Pie involves a cinnamon-spiced chocolate graham cracker crust, french silk filling, fresh sliced strawberries, and a topper of sweet whipped cream. Let’s do this.

Chocolate graham crackers get spun up into crumbs in the food processor and then mixed up with some sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.

We spread out this Oreo-looking delicious stuff into our 9″ deep-dish pie pan, and then bake it up.

While that’s baking? More chocolate!

I had never made French silk pie before, and Betty helped me out. More chocolate, butter, and sugar get whipped up with vanilla and eggs (or egg substitute, if you can’t do the raw egg thing, like me) into silky perfection.

Spread it out into the cooled pie crust. Now, time to display some willpower and refrigerate that beast for at least 2 hours before proceeding.

Then slice up some strawberries and arrange them as artfully as you can stand on top of the partially solidified chocolate filling.

I’m mostly kidding on the ‘artfully’ part because that’s all going to get covered up with whipped cream in about a second.

It doesn’t look like much all covered up, but that’s part of the fun! Anybody taking a unsuspecting bite of this beauty will be delighted by that strawberry surprise. The crunchy crust warms everything up with cinnamon and sweetness. The chocolate is rich and creamy, and the tartness of the fresh berries cuts right through, leaving you with a mouth full of spiced chocolate strawberry goodness and no room for complaints.

Now, take care in slicing this guy. It’s helpful to refrigerate it a little bit more before slicing just to get all the layers solidified. Then be sure to use a sharp knife to cut through those strawberries and crust to get a clean slice.

It took a try or two, but success occurred! (And that red and white striped t-shirt matching the pie? Completely unintentional, I promise.)

Strawberry chocolate oasis success. Now, I don’t know if you can solve all of the problems of the world with this particular pie, but it will certainly get you closer.

Jinger’s Strawberry Chocolate Oasis Pie
inspired by Waitress, and with a little assistance from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
Chocolate Cinnamon Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate graham crackers (I used one sleeve, about 18 squares)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

French Silk Pie Filling:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and then cooled
3/4 cup egg substitute

1/2 lb. sliced strawberries
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. sugar

Directions:
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until well-incorporated. Press mixture firmly against the bottom and sides of a 9″ deep-dish pie pan.

Bake for approximately 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely before filling.

Filling:
In medium bowl, beat sugar and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and cooled chocolate. Gradually add in egg substitute and beat on high speed until mixture is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Pour into pie crust and spread evenly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Resist the urge to lick the entire bowl clean. Seriously.

After filling has chilled sufficiently, arrange sliced strawberries on top of chocolate. Press the strawberries slightly into the filling, to keep the layers from slipping.

Combine remaining ingredients in chilled mixing bowl and whip cream on high speed until super fluffy and spreadable. Spread whipped cream over the top of the sliced strawberries until completely covered.

Chill entire pie for 30 minutes to an hour so that everything comes together and slices more evenly.

Now pretend you’re in a quirky romantic indie comedy and enjoy! I think Adrienne Shelly would be proud.