Strawberry Cream Pie

This pie is definitely a staple at our summer parties.  Forget the burgers, bring on the pie.  I remember my aunt making this for dessert at her house, and we'd have the leftovers (if there were any) for breakfast.  It's a great pie to make with those freshly picked strawberries... or raspberries!  In the summer, my grandma always has the ingredients on hand for whenever anyone picks a bucket of fresh berries.  I've kind of tweaked the recipe a bit, to avoid processed ingredients, but it is just as delicious!  This is also very easily able to be gluten free.  All you do is replace the vanilla sandwich cookies with gluten free sandwich cookies.  I've used gluten free vanilla cream sandwich cookies before and gluten free shortbread cookies before and they are just as good! :)

Strawberry Cream Pie
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
Crust: (you may just buy a pre-made graham cracker crust if you like, but this crust is wonderful!)
15-20 vanilla sandwich cookies (you know, the ones that you get from grandpa's cookie jar!)
2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:
1 Lb. fresh strawberries
1 8 oz package cream cheese, bring to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tablespoons
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Crust:
In a large blender or food processor pulse cookies until fine.  Add them to a mixing bowl and add melted butter.  Stir until combined.  Spread cookie crumbs onto a greased pie plate and press down.  Bake in 350 oven for about 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling:
Chop the strawberries into small bite size pieces and set aside.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar, set aside.  
To make the whipped cream:  In a large chilled mixing bowl (I used a kitchen aid mixer and stuck the bowl and beater in the freezer for about 10 minutes), add the whipping cream.  Beat on low until a lot of little bubbles form, turn speed up to medium high and beat until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.  Add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and the vanilla and beat on high for about 3 more minutes, until stiff peaks form.  You want your peaks to stay, and not flop over.  When whipped cream is ready, add the cream cheese mixture and mix with a paddle (if using kitchen aid) or a spatula until there are no more lumps from the cream cheese.  Gently fold in strawberries and pour entire mixture into crust.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Slice and serve!!  Amazing right?

Note:  This pie is best the day of.  Don't make it a day ahead of time or it will get soggy.  Also, eat it all in one day or it will get soggy.... unless you want to eat it for breakfast the next morning, then it's okay.