Summertime Strawberry Pie

Summertime Strawberry Pie 1 - deep dish store bought pie crust or homemade, pre-baked 1 1/2 lbs fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced in half (about 2-3 cups) 1 - cup granulated sugar 1/4 - cup cornstarch 1/4 - cup strawberry gelatin (Jell-O) 1 1/2 - cups water 1 - tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 -teaspoon strawberry extract (optional but so good) Fresh cream for garnish Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of your pie shell with parchment paper or foil. Place pie weights or dry beans on the paper (optional step this keeps the pie shell from bubbling up). Pre-bake the pie crust until lightly golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Remove pie from oven, remove pie weights or beans, and the parchment paper. Let the pie crust cool completely on a wire rack. While your pie crust is cooling prepare the strawberry filling. In a medium size pot, combine the sugar, cornstarch, gelatin, lemon juice, strawberry extract, and water. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the mixture until it starts to thicken, whisking often. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Arrange the strawberries in the pre- baked pie shell. Pour the filling over the strawberries coating them completely. Refrigerate until set about 2 hours. Store in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Servings: 6-8 Cook's Note: Here is a tip to cool the glaze quickly. Fill a large bowl with ice and water to make an ice bath. Place the whole pot with the glaze into the ice water bath. Using your whisk stir the glaze until it cools down and thickens a bit more. You want the glaze to be thick but still in a pourable consistency. Remove pot from the ice bath and pour the glaze over the strawberries.