Strawberry Cream Pie

 The idea for this pie came to me, and I just had to make it. I wanted a deep, thick graham cracker crust, filled with a light cream layer, topped with huge glazed strawberries. It turned out looking great, and tasted even better!

Strawberry Cream Pie

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
5 T. melted butter

Berries + Glaze:
4 cups strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 T. cornstarch
red food coloring, if desired

Cream Filling:
12 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups whipped topping

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Add the melted butter, mix well. Press crumb mixture into a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan, coming up the sides 2 - 3 inches. (I use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press the crumbs, it makes for a firm and even crust.) Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, let cool.

Reserve the prettiest and largest strawberries for the top layer. (I gently placed them inside the cooled crust to see how they fit.) Hull the berries by slicing straight across the top, and set them aside. With the remaining berries, puree them until you have 1 cup of liquid. Combine sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan, add the berry puree, mix well. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, add a few drops of red food coloring if desired, let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and the confectioner's sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add whipped topping, mix well. Drop large spoonfuls into the cooled crust, spread with an offset spatula.

Top the cream layer with the reserved berries, placing the flat cut side down. Gently press them slightly into the cream layer. Pour the berry puree over the top, completely coating the strawberries and filling all the crevices (I used a pastry brush to make sure all areas were coated). Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. Enjoy!