I love red, white, and blue desserts! That’s because they usually include fruit to get the red or blue color and this dessert is no different. There are 2 pounds of strawberries in this recipe!
This dessert has a complicated look but is actually very easy to make. It starts with ready-made crusts that you can get in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Or, if you have a favorite recipe for pie crust, use that instead. Just be sure to make 2 crusts: one for the pie bottom and one for cutting out star shapes.
The pastry star shapes are decorated with sanding sugar just like you would use to decorate baked cookies. Put the sugar on the shapes before you bake them. You can also bake the stars at the same time as you bake the bottom crust. Just use a separate baking sheet for the stars and turn them after 5 minutes to ensure even browning.
The filling is simmered on the stovetop by adding all the ingredients (except vanilla extract) and cooking for a few minutes to thicken. Then remove the filling from the heat, stir in the vanilla, cool, and then pour in the crust. For best results, chill the crust and pie filling and then add the stars and sweet cream dots. It is also much easier to cut this pie if it has been chilled in the refrigerator.
You will need a mixer to whip up the cream but it is easy to do. There is cream cheese in the recipe which makes it taste yummy and also holds its shape after you pipe it. Have fun decorating this pie with the pastry stars!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Passive Time | 3 hours |
| Servings |
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- 2 pie crusts (use ready-to-bake or your favorite recipe)
- Light blue sanding sugar
- Medium blue sanding sugar
- Clear sanding sugar
- Assorted sizes of small star cookie cutters
- 2 pounds strawberries, sliced or quartered
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup strawberry jam
- 2 tablespoons Chambord liqueur
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- Piping bag
- Medium-sized star tip
Ingredients
Crust
Strawberry Filling
Sweet Cream
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- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place 1 crust in a 9-inch pie dish. Dock or poke holes with a fork in the bottom of the crust. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
- For the second crust, use the cookie cutters to cut out several stars in different sizes. Generously sprinkle stars with the dusting sugar, making different colored stars. Bake the stars for 10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Turn the baking sheet after half the baking time to ensure even browning. Cool.
- Place all ingredients except the vanilla extract into a medium-sized saucepan and stir. Cook on medium to medium-low heat until strawberries start to simmer. Continue simmering for 15 minutes or until the strawberry mixture becomes thick.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the strawberry mixture cool for a few minutes. Then pour into the prepared crust. Chill for 2-3 hours or until set.
- Add the cooled pastry stars to the top of the pie in a pleasing arrangement.
- Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Place the star tip in the piping bag and fill the bag with the cream mixture. Pipe dots randomly (see photos) across the pie surface. Use any leftover cream to pipe onto individually cut pie slices.
- Serve cold. Store pie in the refrigerator.
This pie cuts best if it is cold when cutting.
Sanding sugar is large crystal sugar that will not melt when heated.
The cream dots for this recipe are stabilized with the cream cheese and won't lose their shape after sitting.