Strawberry Pie with Rose Water and Cardamom

June 16, 2024

This is a slight variation on a recipe that I got from a blog called In Bloom Bakery.  It’s a good one.  Spring is the perfect time to make this pie since the strawberries are ripe and the roses are blooming.  The cardamom gives this pie a unique, mild spice.  Cardamom has a taste all its own so try it before incorporating to make sure you like it.  The pie can be made without the cardamom, but I think it gives the pie a nice aroma and deepens the flavor of the strawberries.  Anyway, here is the recipe (with some minor variations):

(JUST FYI–the images are before baking and after baking so you see how the strawberries shrink after baking)

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)
• 1 cup cold, unsalted butter
• 4 Tbsp ice cold water
• 2 Tbsp + ¼ tsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt (I prefer Kosher salt)
• 1 whisked egg for brushing on the crust (you can melt some butter and brush it on the crust, as well, if you don’t want to use egg)
• Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on the pie (granulated works fine, but it’s not as pretty because the granules are smaller than turbinado)—optional

Filling

• 4 1/2 -5 cups of fresh strawberries (sliced thinly)—(the amount of strawberries to use really depends on the size of the pie dish you are using—the strawberries will shrink down in the oven because of the loss of moisture in them)
• 1 Tbsp ground cardamom
• 5 Tbsp cornstarch
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (you could use vanilla bean paste too—you can use an equal amount of paste as the extract)
• ½ tsp-1 tsp rose water (I prefer the Cortas brand)

Directions

Crust for the bottom and sides of the pie

• Combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt to a food processor (they can be blended in a Vitamix blender, as well, if you don’t have a food processor);
• Once blended, add the cold butter in pieces to the flour mixture;
• Add the ice water until the dough forms into a ball—if the dough seems too dry, you can add more water until it forms into a ball (don’t add too much water though so it isn’t too sticky);
• Divide the dough into two equal parts, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight;
• When ready to roll out the pie crust, remove one of the dough halves from the fridge and set out for at least 20 minutes to soften up (depending on how warm your kitchen is);
• Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll out your dough to about 1/8^th inch (the thicker the dough is, the more chances it won’t cook through fully and the thinner it is the more tears there will be—soooo 1/8^th inch is a generally safe thickness for the crust);
• Carefully transfer the rolled out dough to your pie dish (that has been sprayed with baking spray) and press the dough evenly into the dish and up the sides;
• Poke the dough at the base of the dish with a fork;
• Place the pie dish with the dough in it into the fridge so it firms up while you make the filling;
• ALSO, don’t forget to take out the second half of the pie dough from the fridge so it can soften up while you are making the filling

Strawberry Rose Filling

• Add all of the sliced strawberries to a bowl;
• Add the ground cardamom, corn starch, sugar, vanilla and rose water;
• Let marinate together while you make the crust for the top of the pie

Crust for the top of the pie

• So you have options as to what type of crust design you want to make for the top of the pie…lattice crust, cut out designs, or pie crust covering the entire top of the pie (I don’t think that one is as pretty though because you don’t see the strawberries, but up to you);
• My favorite way to make this pie is to do heart cut outs and decorate them all over the top;
• If you do decide to cover the entire top of the pie with the pie crust, then you need to roll it out evenly on a well-floured surface (about 1/8^th inch thick) and poke some holes in the middle of the crust so air can escape while baking;
• If you want to do the lattice crust or cut outs, then you also roll the dough on a well-floured surface to about 1/8^th inch thick before cutting the dough in the manner that you want and placing on the pie—this ensures even baking;
• Whisk an egg in a small bowl and brush on the crusts OR you can refrain from brushing the crusts with anything before baking and then when the pie comes out of the oven, you can brush the crusts with butter…that is, if you want more of a buttery flavor to the pie;
• Sprinkle the crusts with turbinado sugar for added sweetness and a crystally appearance (optional)—also, just know that sprinkling the sugar on the crusts may make them browner when baked;
• Cover the outer edges of the pie with aluminum foil so they don’t burn while baking

Assembling the pie

• Remove the pie dish with the dough from the fridge;
• Place the strawberry rose filling into the pie dish with a slotted spoon;
• You do NOT want all the liquid going into the pie dish because it will make the pie way to mushy and doughy when it’s baked;
• Decorate the pie with the remaining rolled out dough as you wish (i.e. lattice crust or cut outs…)

Baking

• Place the pie on a baking sheet before transferring to a preheated 425 degree Fahrenheit oven;
• Bake for 20 minutes, then after that time, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degree Fahrenheit and bake for 50-60 additional minutes (always watch the pie though because it may be done sooner or later, depending on your elevation);
• You will appreciate having put the pie dish on a baking sheet because there is a chance that the filling will bubble (sometimes over the dish);
• Indications of the pie being done are golden crusts and a bubbling filling;
• BE CAREFUL removing the pie from the oven due to the hot temperatures and hot liquid filling;
• Once pie is removed from the oven, let sit for about 4 1/2 -5 hours to allow it to rest—this is important because by letting the pie cool fully, there will be less oozing when the pie is cut into