Recipe for the Evening 20100612. Blueberry and Strawberry Icebox Pie

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This is a recipe that I invented a couple of years ago, and it works with almost all fruit except ones that are very infirm.  I would not recommend using ripe peaches or blackberries because they, at their prime, are extremely fragile.

It works well with blueberries and commercial strawberries, however.  One could substitute any fairly firm fruit (making allowances for acid and sugar balance) and get a good product.  Since the current host of What’s for Dinner? on the orange site (like I always do when I am the host) did not choose to share that post here, I at least will share my recipe with my cherished friends here at Docudharma.

Blueberry/Strawberry Icebox Pie



Hardware:

1, 9 inch Pyrex deep dish pie pan

Food processor of blender

Bowls for work

Oven

Electric mixer

Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients:

One dry pint fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

1/2 pound strawberries, rinsed and drained

1/2 pound Graham crackers

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

One cup heavy whipping cream (and sugar to sweeten)

One 8 ounce slab of cream cheese, warmed on the counter

One cup sour cream

Lemon juice to taste, about three tablespoons

Activities:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F while the crust is made.  In the meantime rinse and drain the fruit.  Take the Graham crackers and chop them into powder with the blender or food processor (you can also put them in a heavy plastic bag and use a heavy rolling pin on them).  Put the crumbs in the center of the pie pan and blend in the 1/4 cup sugar.  When blended, add the melted butter and mix with a fork until it is homogeneous.  

Using a hot, large spoon, coat the pie pan with the crumbs until you have an even coating all the way us the sides and on the bottom.  Then cook the crust in the oven until it is brown (it took 8 minutes for me, under my oven conditions) and then take it out and put the pan on a rack to cool.  Turn off the oven.  You are done with it.  Note:  some folks like just to chill the crust in the refrigerator to firm it, and that is fine.  My personal preference is to get more color and flavor by cooking it so that the Maillard browning reactions can add complexity.

While the crust cools, whip the half pint of heavy cream until just before the butter stage, and add sugar until you think that is almost too sweet.  Then add the sour cream and softened cream cheese and whip some more, until it is firm.  Add the lemon juice, and whip even more.  Check the sugar balance.  This needs quite a bit of sugar, so make it a little sweeter than you think that it needs to be.

Take half of the mix and put into a fairly large bowl.  Add the blueberries and GENTLY fold them into the mix.  When mixed, put into the cooled crust, being careful not to dislodge the crust particles.

Then take the drained strawberries and cut them to pieces around the size of the blueberries and add to the rest of the cream and cheese mix.  Very gently fold them together and carefully put on top of the blueberry mix already in the crust.

Put in the freezer for 45 minutes or so, and then serve.  This is food for the gods.  Do not worry if it does not cut cleanly, it will still taste good.

I suppose that you could add gelatin to firm up the matrix, but why bother?  It is essential to whip the cream to be very, very stiff or it will wilt into a pudding, but it will taste wonderful.

Note:  this is one of the very few sweets that I make without adding vanilla or salt.  The Graham crackers and butter supply enough salt for flavor enhancement, and the crackers also add vanilla.  The lemon juice is necessary for acid balance.  Otherwise the pie is sort of sickly sweet, unless you are using underripe fruit.

Warmest regards,

Doc