I really should rename this post, “All Day Pie,” as the process literally took us all day.
We speed through the beginning…wham, bam, in the oven. We were both a little on edge.
You see, I had recently moved and my place was being painted and tiled. I was unable to be “at home” (both literally and figuratively) from 8am-6pm every day for 2-3 weeks. Yikes.
Valerie and I spent our days together cooking and creating.
This was a first day ~

The idea was dinner and a pie. Dinner went off without a hitch.
But the pie.
After baking we decided on a quick chill in the chest freezer.

Oops…the pie filling slipped right out of the crust and into the bottom of the freezer with just a flick of the wrist.

Valerie was flabbergasted and frozen in disbelief.

I automatically burst out in hysteria.

We looked at each other, both beginning to laugh at this point.
“What a mess. How are we going to clean it up?”

We mentally agreed: close the freezer and walk away.

So we did.

And with the remains of the pie (we actually baked two), we crumbled it all up for a cobbler, of sorts.

I believe that to be an extreme stress response for me.
Laughter and tears can be one in the same, as are anxiety and excitement. It all depends on the context and your mental capacity in the moment.

Perspective.

I’m actually proud of myself for enabling some positive coping mechanisms during all the mess and stress.

Look at me laugh.

Strawberry Balsamic Basil Chocolate Mozzarella Pie

Basic Pie Crust:
8 Tbs. ice cold butter, cubed into 1/2″ squares
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 large egg
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 pinch salt
2-3 Tbs. ice cold water

Filling:
1 lb. fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
2-3 Tbs. all purpose flour
1 cup strawberry preserves
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Using your fingers, toss the butter cubes in the flour to coat. Flatten and press to immerse in the flour – handling as little as possible. Stir in the egg and vinegar (and salt) with your fingers and add a little water…a touch at a time…until the texture is just right for flaky dough. Remember, the more you touch it, the tougher it will be.
Form into a ball and place between two layers of parchment to roll out into a disc.
Carefully lay the pie crust disc into a pie plate, folding under the edges and fluting the sides for a decorative effect.
Fill with pie beans and bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and discard (or save) the beans.

Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Toss the berries with the flour to fully coat. Gently fold in the remaining ingredients.
Fill the cooled crust and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes, until the center is just about set.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool and finish setting.

Serve a la mode, of course.