Fresh Approach Cooking

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Ooh, yea, so, um, about last night. The combination of martinis and comedy, it sort of pushed me into that place where I suddenly think I’m a heck of a funny chick. What can I say. You were delightful, and I was, um, well, I said I’m sorry, didn’t I? So sorry in fact, I baked you a pie…come on over and have some before it's all gone!

Yup. A pie. Isn’t that what every girl who has over-imbibed does at three in the morning? I mean really peach, why throw together a tasty fry-up, or drink a glass of water and take a few Advil when you have a fridge full of luscious, red strawberries?

So I made you a pie that I don’t recall actually making. That’s how much I care. I know I made it because it was sitting on the counter this morning when I stumbled into the kitchen groping blindly for a bottle of water. Right there on the countertop. Smelling sweet and looking quite good if I do say so myself. It took a minute to recall how it had come to being, during which time the look on my face was most likely one of utter confusion, but I did suddenly recall and was happy for it. I was also relieved I hadn’t delved into the churro batter that was sitting one shelf down in the fridge…

I know, you’re wondering how a girl who was two (okay, maybe three) sheets to the wind could possibly pull of a pie in the dead of night, but I assure you it did happen. I was helped along by the fact I had made the dough earlier in the day, and the berries had already been macerating, but despite the fact I had one eye closed and a bit of a sway going on, it came together beautifully. And this morning, when I ate it, I was in heaven. Sweet berries with a hint of orange. Not a bad thing to wake up to. Too bad I don’t remember doing it…

Why don’t you try one yourself (sober, please) and let me know if it is in fact easy to make as it was to eat…


2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier
¼ cup sugar (as needed)
3 heaping tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon orange zest
Your favorite pie crust
1 tablespoon butter, melted



Preheat your oven to 425F.

In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, Grand Marnier, sugar and cornstarch. Let sit up to one hour, or six hours in the refrigerator. The longer it sits the mushier it becomes though, so if you want to have slices you can see, don’t let it sit longer than 30 minutes.

Roll out your pie-crust and fit it into a standard 9” pie plate (tin, pan, whatever you prefer to call it), crimping the edges as you go. Line the bottom with a parchment circle and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the weights and set aside until you are ready to bake the pie.

Lower the oven to 350F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the pie plate on the baking sheet, brush the edges of the crust with the melted butter, then fill the pie crust with the fruit mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before serving.

Makes one pie


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Blind Bake: To bake a pie-crust without the filling. Metal weights or dried beans are usually used to keep the pastry from bubbling – That’s My Home.com

Grand Marnier is an orange flavored liqueur. It is made from Cognac flavored with the peel of bitter Haitian oranges, spices, and vanilla. – Webtender.com

The Oxnard Plain is a large coastal plain in southwest Ventura County, California. The Oxnard Plain is known for its strawberries, leading to the moniker "Strawberry Capital of the World" and the annual Oxnard Strawberry Festival, the nation's largest. - Wikipedia

Labels: Dessert