Divine Divinity Strawberry Pie

Divine Divinity Strawberry Pie

I mentioned in my Classic Cheesecake post that it was my husband’s most requested birthday cake. For Father’s Day, the Divine Divinity Strawberry Pie was the top request—for good reason! This pie is AMAZING!!

Where did this recipe really come from? Early in her marriage, my mother-in-law challenged herself to cook something different for dinner every day. For months she hunted in magazines for new recipes. Many of the long-standing family recipes came from that experience. And this recipe was found… more than 50 years ago. Thank you to my mother-in-law for this family favorite!

I can truthfully say this is an award-winning pie. I have entered it in contests—and won every time!

This recipe may feel complicated, but don’t let it stop you from giving it a try. Using a double-boiler helps you heat the egg yolks slowly, an important, yet simple step. Take your time: chilling the pie during each step keeps each layer separated. Calibrating your thermometer before cooking the syrup mixture, and patiently creating firm peaks in your egg whites, and later with the divinity, will help you have great success making divinity for the top of this pie.

Ingredients for the Divine Divinity Strawberry Pie:

Single Pie Crust:

This pie crust is based on abountifulkitchen.com “Best Flaky Pie Crust” recipe and the tips she shares for a no-shrink blind bake single crust. It works amazingly well and doesn’t need pie weights to prevent shrinkage. The crust is so flaky and pairs beautifully with the many layers of the Divine Divinity Strawberry Pie.

The ingredients needed for this pie crust are very typical: all-purpose flour, salt, shortening, and ice water. Shortening gives an old-fashioned taste to this crust and is preferred to a butter crust when pairing with the cream cheese, strawberries and divinity. I wanted the crust flavor to be in the background.

Cream Cheese Layer:

• Egg yolk: A room temperature ingredient. Separate the yolk from the white, and save the egg white for the divinity layer!
• Granulated sugar: Just a little bit of sugar to sweeten the tartness of the cream cheese and lemon combination.
• Fresh lemon juice: I always suggest using fresh lemons. The flavor is noticeably different and you only need one lemon to get 2 Tablespoons of juice.
• Cream cheese: A room temperature ingredient. To get a smooth, creamy texture, this ingredient needs to be at room temperature before you mix it with the heated egg yolk, sugar and lemon juice.
• Cool Whip: Did you know you can freeze Cool Whip and it defrosts quickly? It only takes a couple of minutes to defrost and can be added to this mixture as a cold ingredient.

Strawberry Layer:

The strawberries that work best for this pie are large, juicy, and slightly-ripened. You want the strawberries to be completely red, but not overly ripe. The goal is to have strawberries that hold their own for a day or two. Large strawberries give the pie a “show-off” quality.

Divinity Layer:

Divinity is a cooked candy, but on this pie, it will not set up as firm because of the moisture from the strawberries. Ingredients include:

• Granulated sugar: The most common ingredient for cooked candy. I recommend pure cane sugar because it creates the most consist boiling point for the candy. Sugar is an important ingredient in creating the correct divinity texture. Don’t be tempted to use less for a less sweet divinity topping.
• Cream of tartar: Used to stabilize and set the divinity better.
• Egg white: Used to create a meringue and produce the fluffy texture of the divinity.
• Salt: An important ingredient for stabilizing the egg whites and helping them get full volume. It also cuts the sweetness factor. Don’t leave it out!
• Vanilla: A splash of vanilla is all you need.

How to Make Divine Divinity Strawberry Pie

Single Pie Crust:

1. Add all ingredients, except ice water, to medium sized bowl. Use a pastry cutter, or two knives, to cut into ingredients until the shortening is pea sized and combined with the flour and salt. Add ice water all at once and combine into the flour/shortening mixture with a fork or hands. Form into a ball and flatten to a disk, while working with the dough as little as possible. A rustic look to the crust dough will create a flaky texture.
2. On a floured surface, roll disk into a circle that’s 2 ½ inches larger than the edge of your pie plate and 1/8 inch thick. Lift the crust and center onto your pie plate. Lift the edges and ease the crust into the corners of the bottom of the plate, leaving the excess crust draping over the edge of the plate.
3. Cut the edge of the crust with a half-inch overlap from the edge of the plate. Fold the excess under all along the edge of the plate, so there is a double layer of crust along the edge. A thick layer of crust will help prevent shrinkage. Use your thumbs or knuckles to form a decorative edge along the edge of the pie plate. Use a fork to generously poke holes in the bottom and sides of the pie crust to prevent bubbles.
4. Turn on oven to 500° F. Let it come to temperature and then preheat for at least another 15-30 minutes (to be sure the oven is truly 500° F. Put your crust into the freezer (or refrigerator) for 30 minutes while your oven preheats. Bake your crust for 7-10 minutes depending on your oven. You want a golden brown crust. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Layer:

1. Use a small double boiler and a whisk to mix egg yolk, sugar, and lemon juice on medium-high heat until thick, about 5-8 minutes. A double boiler keeps the egg yolk from cooking to quickly and becoming lumpy. Whisk the mixture consistently the entire time until thickened.
2. Remove from heat. Slice in cream cheese and beat with hand mixer until smooth. Keep the loft of the Cool Whip by folding it into the cream cheese mixture until completely incorporated. Spoon into cooled single crust and smooth to edges. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Strawberry Layer:

1. Cut greens off large strawberries so tops are flat. Wash strawberries and dab dry with paper towel until strawberries are completely dry.
2. Place strawberries on top of cream cheese layer with flat tops down. Place the largest strawberries in the center. Work down in size to puzzle strawberries into place as your work outward and cover the entire surface of the cream cheese layer. Return pie to the refrigerator to chill while you make the divinity.

Divinity Layer:

1. Calibrate candy thermometer to adjust cooking temperature according to your currently boiling temperature.
2. Add sugar, cream of tartar, and water to a small saucepan. Stirring until mixture reaches boiling. Cook mixture to 260° F. While mixture is coming to temperature, watch closely, but at same time add egg white and salt to a clean, metal or glass, small-medium bowl. With clean hand mixer, beat egg whites until firm peaks, approximately 2 minutes. Note: It is important to use clean bowls and beaters that are free of grease or the egg whites will not become firm. Firm peaks means the “birds beak” (the drip on the end of the beater when you lift it out of the mixture) stands tall instead of falling to the side.
3. Once syrup mixture reaches temperature, start beating egg whites again on slow speed, and while mixing slowly pour hot syrup into egg whites. Then adjust mixer speed to high and beat until firm peaks, about 5 minutes. Be patient. This is the most important step in creating a firm divinity that does not continue to ooze on the pie top.
4. Immediately pour divinity on the chilled strawberries. Pour divinity directly in the center and let the divinity ooze outward on its own. Chill for 2 hours. Serve immediately after chilling or within a few hours as the fresh strawberries begin to seep and break down the divinity. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

You’ve got this! It’s worth all the hard work when you taste one bite of this pie—you will happily finish the rest of the pie yourself. Maybe make two while you are at it, so you don’t have to share!!

–Kim

Print Recipe

Divine Divinity Strawberry Pie

A flaky classic crust filled with a citrusy cream cheese filling, topped with juicy whole strawberries and smothered with fluffy white divinity. The tartness of the cream cheese combined with the sweetness of the divinity, plus the fresh strawberries is award winning perfection.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Chilling Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: pie, strawberry

Servings: 9 inch pie crust

Author: Kim Melanson

Equipment

• 9" pie plate

Ingredients

Single Pie Crust: (see Recipe Note)

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons shortening
• 3 Tablespoons ice water

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 1 large egg yolk room temperature (reserve egg white)
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup Cool Whip

Strawberry Layer:

• 18-25 large slightly-ripened strawberries (not overly ripe, but completely red)

Divinity Layer:

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 large egg white room temperature
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Single Pie Crust:

• Add all ingredients, except ice water, to medium sized bowl. Use a pastry cutter, or two knives, to cut into ingredients until the shortening is pea sized and combined with the flour and salt.
• Add ice water all at once and combine into the flour/shortening mixture with a fork or hands.
• Form into a ball and flatten to a disk, while working with the dough as little as possible. (Rustic creates a flaky texture.)
• On a floured surface, roll disk into a circle that’s 2 ½ inches larger than the edge of your pie plate and ⅛-inch thick.
• Lift the crust and center onto your pie plate. Lift edges and ease the crust into the corners of the bottom of the plate, leaving the excess crust draping over the edge of the plate.
• Cut the edge of the crust with a half-inch overlap from the edge of the plate. Fold the excess under all along the edge of the plate, so there is a double layer of crust along the edge. A thick layer of crust will help prevent shrinkage.
• Use your thumbs or knuckles to form a decorative edge along the edge of the pie plate.
• Use a fork to generously poke holes in the bottom and sides of the pie crust to prevent bubbles.
• Turn on oven to 500° F. Let it come to temperature and then preheat for at least another 15-30 minutes.
• Put your crust into the freezer (or refrigerator) for 30 minutes while your oven preheats.
• Bake your crust for 7-10 minutes, depending on your oven. You want a golden brown crust.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Layer:

• Use a small double boiler and a whisk to mix egg yolk, sugar, and lemon juice on medium-high heat until thick, continually stirring about 5-8 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Slice in cream cheese and beat with hand mixer until smooth.
• Fold in Cool Whip until completely incorporated.
• Spoon into cooled single crust and smooth to edges. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Strawberry Layer:

• Cut greens off large strawberries so tops are flat. Wash strawberries and dab dry with paper towel until strawberries are completely dry.
• Place strawberries on top of cream cheese layer with flat tops down. Start in the center and work out toward the sides, covering the entire cream cheese layer. Place largest strawberries in the center.
• Return pie to the refrigerator to chill while you make the divinity.

Divinity Layer:

• Calibrate candy thermometer to adjust cooking temperature according to your currently boiling temperature.
• Add sugar, cream of tartar, and water to a small saucepan. Stirring until mixture reaches boiling. Cook mixture to 260° F.
• While mixture is coming to temperature, watch closely, but at same time add egg white and salt to a clean, metal or glass, small-medium bowl. With clean hand mixer, beat egg whites until firm peaks, approximately 2 minutes.
• Once syrup mixture reaches temperature, start beating egg whites again on slow speed, and while mixing slowly pour hot syrup into egg whites. Then adjust mixer speed to high and beat until firm peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Immediately pour divinity on the chilled strawberries. Pour directly in the center and let the divinity seep outward on its own.
• Chill for 2 hours. Serve immediately after chilling or within a few hours as the fresh strawberries begin to seep and break down the divinity. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

Pie crust based on abountifulkitchen.com “Best Basic Flaky Pie Crust”