Bread and Butter Strawberry Pie is one of those desserts that has a bit of mystery to its deliciousness. Here an unsuspecting ingredient is added into the filling, giving the custard a wonderful texture, creating a canvas for the strawberries to be front and center.
So what’s so bread-and-butter about this Bread and Butter Strawberry Pie? The name comes from the use of both bread and butter in the pie filling. Breadcrumbs and butter — alongside the egg yolks, sugar, and strawberry purée — thicken the pie filling without any unpleasant gelatinous texture you’d find in a gelatin or cornstarch based recipe.
After the strawberries are puréed and strained, egg yolks are whisked together. Next the breadcrumbs are mixed in followed by the sugar. Here a neutral and plain panko adds just enough body and doesn’t impede on the pie’s flavor.
Small pats of butter are whisked into the filling. This will add just the right amount of body and bolster the richness coming from the egg yolks. Once the filling is complete, it is poured into the prepared, baked, and cooled pie crust.
Once the pie is baked and cooled completely, it is ready to serve!
The filling strawberry in the purest strawberry flavor, not needing to rely on strawberry extract, strawberry jello, or pudding to get more of that fruity flavor.
The breadcrumbs dissolve into a smooth texture that’s sturdy enough to cut into and produce clean slices, but the filling is also tender enough to melt away in the mouth.
Served with additional fresh strawberries and a heavy dollop of whipped cream makes this pie even more of a pleasure to eat! This pie filling method is so versatile, you can swap out the fresh strawberries with other berries. Raspberries, blueberries, or cherries are great variations, allowing you to harness and highlight any fresh berry you come across!
Bread and Butter Strawberry Pie
Allergens: Milk Gluten Eggs strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought pie crust, defrosted
- 1 lb hulled strawberries
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Red or pink food coloring (optional)
- 1 cup whipped cream, for garnish
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a 9-inch pie crust with the defrosted pie crust.
- Prick the dough with a fork in several areas of the crust. Cover the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights.
- Blind bake the pie crust for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the parchment paper and beans and let the crust cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Puree strawberries in a blender and pass the puree through a mesh strainer, discarding the seeds and pulp.
- Whisk egg yolks into the strawberry puree. Once combined, whisk in the breadcrumbs followed by the sugar.
- Whisk in butter pieces (don’t worry that the butter isn’t incorporated) and whisk in the vanilla and food coloring (if you want to use coloring).
- Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely. Garnish with whipped cream, serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Tasting History