Strawberry Pie Bars

Strawberry Pie Bars For the graham crumb crust 2 cups graham crumbs 1/2 cup melted butter 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp sugar For the strawberry filling 2 tsp un-flavored gelatin powder (stirred into 1/4 cup cold water) 6 cups sliced strawberries (Divided in 2 halves) 3/4 cup sugar ( use up to 1 1/4 cups if you prefer it sweeter) 1/4 cup water 2 tbsp corn starch ( dissolved in 1/4 cup water) For the Vanilla Whipped Cream 1 cup whipping cream 2 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar) 1 tsp vanilla extract To prepare the graham crumb base Measure the graham crumbs into a small bowl and make a small well in the centre. Pour the sugar into the well, then pour the melted butter onto the sugar. Let this stand for a couple of minutes to let the butter seep into the sugar. Then stir well to combine all ingredients together. The purpose of this step is to get a good contact between the butter and sugar. This helps a lot in setting a graham crumb crust in the oven. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan that has been lightly greased and lined with parchment paper. B Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes. Let the crust cool completely to room temperature before adding the filling. To prepare the filling Add the gelatin to the 1/4 cup cold water and set aside for a few minutes until needed. Add 3 cups of the sliced strawberries, the sugar and 1/4 cup water to a small saucepan and simmer for only a few minutes until the strawberries have release most of their juice. Dissolve the corn starch in the 1/4 cup of water and stir into the simmering strawberries. Stir constantly for 2 to three minutes while the strawberry mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatine mixture until it is fully dissolved. Allow to cool to almost room temperature before stirring in the 3 cups of fresh sliced berries. Pour into the baked pie shell and refrigerate for several hours or overnight until set. To Prepare the Vanilla Whipped Cream Simply beat all of the ingredients together with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Spread the cream on top of the set filling and cut into desired portion size.