Independence Day is coming. We need pie.
My favorite dessert is Red, White, and Blueberry pie. It tastes like an American summer; it wows any crowd, and it’s deceptively easy to make. (That last part will be our little secret.)
Before you begin:
1. Take your shoes off. This is a southern dessert, by golly.
2. Turn on some classic America music. My choice this time was Ray Charles:
3. Find a cute kid to help you.
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Red, white, and blue ingredients
Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 quart (maybe a few more…) fresh strawberries, rinsed and patted dry
5 oz. white chocolate for baking
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 C cold milk
1 pkg. white chocolate pudding mix
1 1/2 C fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
Cool Whip (I get that extra creamy kind)
Other Stuff:
Parchment paper
Pie plate
Optional: lemon zest
Song Break:
To make:
Place pie crust in pie plate; prick bottom with a fork and bake according to package instructions. Cool completely.
Choose 8 uniformly sized strawberries and slice in half, leaving leaves. Set aside. Hull and slice remaining strawberries and set aside.
Melt chocolate in microwave by heating for 30 seconds intervals, stirring between each heating until melted. Dip strawberry halves in melted chocolate and place on a piece of parchment paper. Spread remaining chocolate on bottom of the prepared crust to evenly coat the entire bottom and sides. (Melt more chocolate if you need to: this step keeps the crust from going all soggy on you.) Layer sliced strawberries over bottom of crust.
Beat cream cheese until smooth; slowly add milk until well blended. Add pudding mix and beat until mixture begins to thicken. spread the pudding mixture over strawberries. Arrange the blueberries on top, then pipe Cool Whip around outer edge of the pie. Give cute kid extra blueberries. Place the chocolate-dipped strawberry halves on the Cool Whip border. (They may not all fit so you might be forced to eat the extras. This is where that cute kid learns that helping in the kitchen has some rewards.) Garnish blueberries with lemon zest if desired. Chill overnight, or until you just can’t stand it any longer.
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Red, White, and Blueberry pie
Happy Independence Day!