Strawberry Slab Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Make the Double-Crust Pate Brisee and divide it in half. Place one half back in the fridge while you work with the other.
• Generously flick flour over the work surface and roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick and large enough to line the bottom and sides of a rimmed 9 x 13-inch quarter-sheet pan or baking pan. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with the dough, making sure to press the dough into the corners. You may need to patch it up if the dough tears. Dock it with a pastry docker (see Cook's Note) or by poking it all over with a fork. Refrigerate the pie shell for at least 30 minutes to allow the dough to relax.
• Meanwhile, line a baking sheet or large flat platter with parchment paper and set aside. Remove the other half of the dough from the fridge and roll it into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick and large enough to cover the whole top of the pie. Place the rolled-out dough on the prepared baking sheet or platter and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Blind bake the pie shell (see Cook's Note) for 20 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan midway through the baking time, until the pie shell is matte and pale golden brown. Remove it from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When the pie weights have cooled down, remove them carefully from the pie shell and discard the parchment. Set aside the pie shell.
• In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, superfine sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, and salt and toss to combine well. Let macerate for about 15 minutes. Pour the fruit and any accumulated juices over the pie shell. Remove the rolled-out dough from the fridge and drape it over the pie. Press the dough gently along the rim of the pan to adhere it to the edges of the bottom crust. Trim any excess dough so that there is just a slight overhang (the dough will shrink during baking, so you want there to be a little extra along the edge). Whisk the egg for the egg wash in a small bowl with a fork. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top evenly with the sanding sugar. Slit the dough decoratively in 6 to 8 places to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pan midway through the baking time, until the top is dark golden brown through and through--no pale soggy places!
• Remove the pie from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, so the fruit has time to set up. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• The pie can be stored well covered, at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you store it in the fridge, it's best served warmed; reheat the pie in a 300 degrees F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top and bottom crisp up a little bit.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, paddle together the flour, sugar, and salt for 10 to 15 seconds. Cut the butter into about 12 pieces and add it to the flour mixture. Paddle slowly until the flour is no longer bright white and the mixture holds together when you clump it, and there are still lumps of butter the size of pecans throughout, 60 to 90 seconds.
• Whisk together the egg yolks and milk in a small bowl and add them all at once to the flour-butter mixture. Paddle very briefly, just until it barely comes together, about 30 seconds. It will look really shaggy and more like a mess than a dough.
• Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and gather it together into a tight mound. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough, starting at the top of the mound and sliding your hand down the sides of the mound along the work surface, until most of the butter chunks are smeared into the dough and the whole thing comes together.
• Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and press it down to make a disk about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
• The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Wrap in another layer of plastic if storing for more than 1 day.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Remove pie crusts from pouches. On lightly floured surface, unroll and stack crusts one on top of the other. Roll to 17x12-inch rectangle. Fit crust into 15x10x1-inch pan, pressing firmly into corners and sides. Fold extra crust under, even with edges of pan. Using fork, prick all over bottom and sides.
• Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and completely baked. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, beat sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice with whisk. In small bowl, mash 1 1/2 cups of the sliced strawberries with bottom of whisk or fork to make 1 cup finely mashed strawberries; stir into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Pour into medium bowl; cool 5 minutes. Stir remaining sliced strawberries into cooked strawberry mixture.
• In small bowl, mix cream cheese and lemon peel until well blended. Spread in bottom of cooled baked crust. Spoon strawberry mixture into pan; spread evenly.
• Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Just before serving, top pieces with sweetened whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie pieces.

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, the salt and the pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour until the largest pieces of butter are the size of lentils.
• Sprinkle ice water over dough a tablespoon at a time, stirring and scooping the dough with your hands as you go to incorporate the water, until the dough just begins to adhere and you can gather it into an imperfect ball. (You may not need all the water.) Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap and press into a disk. Wrap tightly and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Lightly butter a quarter sheet pan with a 1-inch rim, including the top edge of the rim, and set aside. (Quarter sheet pans are usually 8 by 11 inches or 9 by 12 inches, depending on the manufacturer.)
• Lightly flour a large work surface, a rolling pin and the dough. Roll the chilled dough into an 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. From that, cut a rectangle three inches bigger than the dimensions of your pan on each side (i.e., an 11-by-14-inch rectangle for an 8-by-11-inch pan, or a 12-by-15-inch rectangle for a 9-by-12-inch pan). Reserve the extra dough.
• Gently press the dough rectangle into the quarter sheet pan, trimming excess dough at the edges. The dough should go all the way up and over the top edge of the pan, if possible. Transfer pan to refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out reserved dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 1- and 2-inch biscuit cutters, cut out about 30 circles of different sizes (or use all one size if you prefer), rerolling dough as necessary. Transfer circles to parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate.
• Make the filling: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Set aside for about an hour, while crust chills.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. When oven is hot, paint some of the buttermilk on the edges of the pie crust. Transfer berry mixture to crust, patting the berries down into a roughly even layer. Place pan on a larger baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Paint buttermilk over reserved pastry circles and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon granulated sugar. Place circles all over the bubbling berries. Continue baking pie until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, an additional 50 to 60 minutes.
• Run a small knife around the edge of the pie while it's warm. Transfer the pie in its quarter sheet pan to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving from the pan.