Warm pie is heaven. Warm fruit crisp is heaven. Put them together and this Strawberry Crumble Pie is the comforting, all-American result. There are some noteworthy and marvelous flavors and textures that go on here: you’ve got this tart/sweet/spicy thing going on – the product of fresh strawberries, lime juice, and cardamom. Allspice and ginger in the crumble topping also lend a bit of spice, which crisps up a bit, resulting in crunchy clusters of sweet, oat-y goodness. The pie crust remains (pleasantly) on the softer side, which is perfect for enjoying with some cold vanilla bean ice cream.
Tips: See all that juiciness at the bottom of that bowl of strawberries? This pie really is more like a crisp and won’t yield perfect slices of pie when cut into. It will come out more saucy and is heaven eaten with vanilla ice cream, like a crisp or cobbler. To make it less saucy, try using a slotted spoon to convey the strawberry mixture into the pie shell. Let it cool for 6 hours and then even refrigerate overnight to get more of a pie-like texture. Also, the cardamom presence isn’t super subtle in this pie. We feel like it makes the pie more interesting and unique. If you aren’t crazy about cardamom, we suggest adding half the amount called for. This recipe calls for instant tapioca, which we find at Walmart (unsponsored).
We cheated and used store-bought pie crust. We find that it gets the job done just fine when you want to skip this step.
Our pie turned out a bit more brown than is photogenic, but it sure tasted fantastic.
What is cardamom, anyway? It is a seed that comes from a plant, related to ginger, that grows in Southeast Asia. It is really aromatic and totally exotic. It is a good source of iron, which helps to oxygenate your tissues.
Adapted slightly from: Strawberry Crumble Pie
- For the crust:
- 1 storebought pie crust OR:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup cold vegetable shortening
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons ice water
- 2 tablespoons vodka or apple cider vinegar
- For the topping:
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- For the filling:
- 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and halved
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant tapioca
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (or ¼ tsp if you're not too hip on this spice)
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Vanilla bean ice cream, for serving (optional)
- Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the shortening and pulse a few times until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the butter and pulse a few times until it is in pea-size pieces. Add the ice water and vodka; pulse a few times until the dough starts coming together but is still crumbly. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the topping: Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, allspice and ginger in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the mixture until clumpy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Put a baking sheet in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees F. Make the filling: Combine the strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, tapioca, lime juice, cardamom and salt in a large bowl. Stir until the sugar and tapioca are dissolved and the strawberries are evenly coated. Set aside.
- Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Refrigerate until firm, at least 15 minutes. Spread the strawberry filling in the crust and sprinkle evenly with the crumble topping. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling around the edge, start checking at 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely, at least 4 hours.
