This pie has many virtues. It is light, delicious, has very little sweeteners in it and is actually nutritious.
This is the rationalization I use as I serve myself a big slice for breakfast.
Strawberry – Yogurt Pie is a beautiful dessert for Valentine’s Day.
½ recipe Basic Pie Crust
1 ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 cup small curd cottage cheese (not fat free)
1 pint strawberries
¼ cup mild honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Line a medium bowl with an 18” square of clean, white Indian gauze or with several layers of cheese cloth. Pour the yogurt into the bowl. Gather the corners together, tie a strong string around them, and hang the yogurt to drain for 4 hours.
Make one half of the Basic Pie Crust recipe as directed. Roll the dough out in a 13” circle and line a 10” pie plate with it. Prick the entire surface with a fork, then fold up and crimp the edges decoratively.
Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the crust, and press it out to conform to the pan and hold the crust in place. You can pour in pie weights or dried beans if you like, but I find that the aluminum foil holds the crust against the sides of the pan well enough. Bake the crust at 375° for about 25 minutes, or until golden. Remove the pie plate from the oven and allow to cool.
Pick out 2 perfect berries and set them aside for garnish. Cut the stems off of the rest of the strawberries and slice them into the cooled pie shell.
Place the drained yogurt in a clean bowl. Force the cottage cheese through affine sieve, then add it to the yogurt. Stir in the honey and the vanilla. Pour the filling over the berries in the pie shell.
Place the pie in the refrigerator and chill for 3 or 4 hours.
Garnish with the reserved strawberries and serve.
