French Strawberry Pie Serves 8 William Butler once said of strawberries, "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did." I am in hearty agreement with this sentiment, and would happily eat strawberries for breakfast every day of the year if they were available. One of the charms of strawberries is their short season; the tongue's rosy memory of strawberries when they are no longer available is almost as delicious as their slightly acerbic sweetness. Naked strawberries in a white ceramic bowl all by themselves are not only beautiful to look at, but perfect to eat as is, plump and succulent. There is absolutely no need to improve upon perfection, but people are always trying to do it anyway (myself included). For instance, there was a restaurant near our home that made a wonderful dessert of fresh strawberries and some sort of creamy filling, all nestled in a chocolate-coated piecrust. This delectable concoction, which they called French Strawberry Pie, quickly became one of my favorite desserts, and I ordered it with great regularity. Early on, curiosity got in the way of my enjoyment, and I pressed sundry waiters and waitresses for their ideas on what might be in the mysterious creamy substance. They all professed ignorance, but I pressed on undaunted. I had to know how to make this myself. Since I was getting nowhere with the staff, I decided to fool around at home on my own. It took me several tries, but I finally arrived at something my husband and I both agreed was "it." 4 ozs. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 9" prebaked piecrust 10 ozs. strawberries, hulled (or 8 ozs. raspberries) 3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream 6 ozs. cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ozs.) sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract -- Over very low heat, melt together the chocolate and the butter, stirring occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into the piecrust, tilting crust so that surface area is completely covered. Put piecrust into the freezer for about 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. -- Rinse berries and dry immediately so that they soak up as little moisture as possible. Set aside. -- Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Set aside. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then beat briefly just until mixed. -- Remove piecrust from freezer and fill with whipped cream mixture. Arrange berries on top, pressing down gently so that they attach themselves. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours before serving. Storage This doesn't store well; it's best served the same day it's made. OTHER FRUIT, NUT AND SPICE DESSERTS Catherine S. Vodrey is available for freelance writing, editing, fundraising/development, and photography projects at: Post Office Box 835 East Liverpool, Ohio 43920 USA E-MAIL: WordBanquet@gmail.com Thank you for visiting www.WordBanquet.com!