When luscious strawberries are in season it’s fresh strawberry pie time!

Hailing from my latest cookbook, Eat What You Love Restaurant Favorites, this pie is a true summer favorite. Restaurant and commercial kitchens often use strawberry-flavored sugar-laced gels to bind the berries, but I have a better, tastier alternative. Flavorful frozen strawberries break down easier than fresh to create a glorious glaze economically, and in record time!

Just add fresh berries and my crispy fast-fix crust and you’ve got a restaurant worthy pie – with 1/3 of the calories and 75% less added sugar – in under 30 minutes! (For a red, white, and blue pie, swap in a handful or two of blueberries for some of the strawberries!).

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1/2 package refrigerated pie crust (I like Pillsbury)
1 large egg white, beaten until frothy
1 1/4 cup frozen strawberries, slightly thawed
6 tablespoons granulated sweetener*
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
Pinch of salt
5 cups halved (or quartered if large) hulled strawberries
1 1/2 cups light whipped topping, thawed (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the pie crust into a pie plate and crimp the edges. Prick the crust with a fork, line it with foil, and place dried beans or uncooked rice onto the foil to “weight” the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust no longer looks raw when foil is lifted. Remove weights and foil and brush crust with egg white. Return to oven and bake for 3 to 4 more minutes or until the bottom of the crust just starts to brown. Set aside.

2. Place 3/4 cup water and frozen strawberries in a medium saucepan. Use a fork to partially mash berries. Add sweetener, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt. Bring to a low simmer, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring and mashing the berries until glaze thickens and clears.

3. Place ½ of the fresh berries in the bottom of the crust, spoon ½ of the glaze over the berries, and stir to coat. Add remaining berries and repeat (tip: For a picture perfect pie leave a few tablespoons of warm glaze in the saucepan and individually glaze and place the last few berries on the pie.) Chill for 2 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped topping, if desired.

*To use stevia-based Truvia for Baking use 1/2 as much (or 3 tablespoons). If you prefer to use granulated sugar, use 1/2 cup (6 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons = 1/2 cup)

Dare to Compare: Make it yourself and save. A piece of Fresh Strawberry Pie at Marie Callender’s has 470 calories, 24 grams of fat, 60 gms carb, 33 gms of sugar–and 19 points!

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: Calories 155 | Carbohydrate 25g (Sugars 9g) | Total Fat 6g (Sat Fat 2g) | Protein 2g | Fiber 3g | Sodium mg | Food Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fruit | Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 | Weight Watcher Smart Point Comparison:  green 5, blue 5, purple 5