The countdown to Valentine’s Day is on, and I am so excited to share this sweet and surprisingly simple strawberry heart pie recipe. If you are into Pinterest then you’ve probably seen this circulate, and it definitely kept catching my eye. There are several different versions of it… some with homemade crust, most with TONS of sugar, and others that seemed to fall flat. I have created my own spin on it with short-cut steps, very low sugar, and fresh pie filling. It’s all about semi-homemade with our crazy busy lives, so you should know in advance that this includes store-bought refrigerated pie crusts, however, the filling is made from scratch. Making your own pie filling makes a world of difference compared to the canned versions. I promise it will only take ten minutes to prepare the tart and sweet strawberry center and another ten or so minutes to cut the adorable hearts for the crust. Pop it in the oven for 40 minutes and you have a beautiful Valentine themed pie! Now I know this pink, red and sometimes uber-cheesy holiday doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it doesn’t have to be about whether or not you have found that special someone. Valentine’s is a great occasion to get together with girlfriends for dinner and dessert, bake with your kids, or bring something delicious to the office for coworkers. I know there is someone out there who would love this pie, so check out the recipe below, get your apron on, and share the love!

Strawberry Heart Pie 

Non-Cooking Items:

• standard clear glass pie dish
• mini heart cookie cutter
• a rolling pin (this gorgeous marble rolling pin would make a great gift)

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of refrigerated Pillsbury pie crusts (you need 2 packages for extra crust for the hearts)
• 2 lbs trimmed and cut strawberries (one extra large strawberry container)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sugar and a little extra for dusting
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/2 a cup of water
• 1 egg white

Directions:

• pre-heat your oven on 425
• cut all of the strawberries and place in a large bowl
• mix with the water, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla and corn starch
• add this to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil
• lower the heat, stir, and monitor the mixture for 6 minutes
• remove from the stove and set aside
• while the strawberries cool, place one of the pie crusts in the pie dish and press firmly
• roll the other crusts on a cutting board and use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to make the hearts
• fill the pie dish with the strawberry filling
• top with the heart cut outs, working your way from the outside in
• brush a little egg white on the crust and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar
• cover the edges of the pie dish with aluminum foil
• bake at 425 for 20 minutes
• reduce heat to 375 and bake another 20 minutes
• serve warm with vanilla ice cream
• yum!