Fresh Strawberry Meringue Pie

Fresh Strawberry Meringue Pie
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Corn-Free, Soy-Free, Peanut-Free
Strawberry season is almost here in Ontario, Canada and here is a great way to use them up. 1/2 of them are mashed and cooked to make the sauce and the rest are sliced and used uncooked for that wonderful fresh strawberry taste. With or without meringue, it's a favourite with kids and adults.

Ingredients
Pre-baked pie crust - see the allergy-free pie crust recipe in this blog

Filling
4 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup sugar, white
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp tapioca starch (or flour - same thing)
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 tsp sea salt

Meringue
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
7 tbsp sugar, white

Method
In a small cup, dissolve the arrowroot powder and tapioca starch in the cold water. Stir until all lumps have dissolved. In a medium pot, mash 2 cups of strawberries with the sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until hot - but not boiling. Slowly add the arrowroot and tapioca mixture to the cooked strawberries stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture begins to bubble and becomes very thick. Remove from heat and cool it slightly.

Make the meringue topping. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Place the remaining 2 cups of sliced strawberries into the pre-cooked pie shell. Pour the slightly cooled, thick strawberry mixture over the fresh sliced strawberries until mostly covered (this sauce holds the fresh berries together in the pie when cutting it). Top with the meringue and seal to the edges of the pie shell.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown. Cool and refrigerate until well chilled.

Serves 8-10 people