Fresh Strawberries & Amaretto Cream Pie

Total Time

Prep: 40 min.+ cooling Bake15 min. + chilling

Makes

8 servings

Updated: May. 13, 2022
Strawberry pie is even more luscious when you cover it with a generous layer of amaretto cream. Keep the recipe in mind whenever you have a bounty of fresh berries. —Charis O'Connell, Mohnton, Pennsylvania
Fresh Strawberries & Amaretto Cream Pie Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
  • FILLING:
  • 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 4 to 6 drops red food coloring, optional
  • AMARETTO CREAM
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tablespoons amaretto or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • Optional toppings: additional fresh strawberries and toasted almonds

Directions

  1. Place almonds in a food processor; cover and pulse until almonds are finely ground. Add flour, confectioners' sugar and salt; pulse until blended. Add butter and shortening; pulse until butter and shortening are the size of peas. While pulsing, add just enough ice water to form moist crumbs. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in. thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. deep-dish plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Fill with dried beans, uncooked rice or pie weights.
  3. Bake at 425° for 8 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake 5-7 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
  4. In a large bowl, mash 1 cup strawberries with the lemon juice. Add water. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in mashed berry mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in food coloring if desired. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until cooled slightly, stirring occasionally.
  5. Fold in the remaining sliced berries; transfer to crust. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until set.
  6. In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add the sour cream, confectioners' sugar and amaretto; beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over filling. Top with additional strawberries and almonds if desired.
Editor's Note: To toast nuts, spread in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350&; for 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Or, spread in a dry nonstick skillet and heat over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Pie Weights
Let pie weights cool before storing. Beans and rice may be reused for pie weights, but not for cooking.