Strawberry Slab Pie

A rectangular baking dish of strawberry slab cake with a piece gone. A bowl of whipped cream and a rolling pin are off to the side.

Courtesy of grocery.coop
Recipe Information
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours, 1 hour active
Servings: 12

This pie is full of sweet strawberries, with hints of lemon and vanilla. The flaky crust is biscuit-like and flecked with sparkling sugar for even more appeal. It’s also very juicy, so be sure to put foil or pans on the bottom oven shelf to catch the juices.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus ¼ teaspoon
  • 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (10 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup ice water
  • 3 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons half and half
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preparation

  1. Get out a baking pan 10 by 15 inches and 1 inch deep.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, ½ cup sugar and 1½ teaspoons salt. Cut in the butter, then drizzle in ice water as you toss with a fork. If needed, drizzle in an additional tablespoon or so of ice water to make a dough. Form into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Place the hulled, halved strawberries in a large bowl. Add the remaining sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, vanilla and remaining salt.  Mix.
  4. Heat the oven to 425 F and place a foil-lined baking sheet on the bottom oven shelf to catch any overflowing strawberry juices.
  5. On a floured counter, cut off one third of the dough. Roll the larger piece to 12 by 16 inches. Transfer the dough to the pan, pat lightly to fit into the pan, leaving the edges hanging over.
  6. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a piece 11 by 16 inches. Distribute the berries over the dough in the pan. Place the second sheet of dough over the pie. Fold the edges of the lower crust over the upper crust, crimp the crust and slash the top.
  7. Brush the top of the pie with half and half and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 F. Turn the temperature down to 400 F. Place a sheet of foil over the pie, then bake 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling.
  9. Cool and cut in 12 pieces, or grab a fork and dig in.

Serving Suggestion

Top with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra bit of sweetness.

Nutritional Information

480 calories, 20 g. fat, 50 mg. cholesterol, 350 mg. sodium, 71 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. fiber, 5 g. protein