Strawberry Ice Box Pie

STRAWBERRY ICE BOX PIE

A neighbor of ours gave my mother this recipe when I was a child, and it quickly became a family favorite. Today it is a favorite of my children and grandchildren. I think it originally called for fresh strawberries, sugared and set aside until the juice formed, but I make it year round and have adapted it to use frozen. I think the frozen berries actually work better, because they are softer and have more juice.

1 pre-baked 9” pie shell
1 10-oz. Pkg. frozen strawberry halves
24 regular-size marshmallows
1 C. heavy whipping cream + sweetener

Remove frozen berries from package and thaw in a strainer to reserve the juice. Set berries aside.

Heat juice in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add marshmallows and stir constantly until marshmallows are completely melted. *Set aside to cool or refrigerate briefly.

Whip cream until fairly stiff, adding sweetener to taste.

Stir the berries into the marshmallow mixture and then gently fold in the whipped cream. Pour into a pre-baked pie shell. Place in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours and serve cold.

*Marshmallow mixture must be completely cool (but not cold) or it will melt the whipped cream, and the pie filling will not have enough body.