Strawberry Cream-A No Bake Pie

I made this easy strawberry pie for the Fourth. I have never made a pie before. I have a pie plate, but it was way too small for this recipe. I smushed that graham cracker crust in 4 dishes before settling on a square casserole dish. Here's the recipe:

serves 6-8

2 lbs. fresh strawberries (about 2 containers) tops removed, plus four strawberries, reserved

1 1/4 cups milk ( I used lactose free milk)

1/4 cup sugar

5 tbsp. cornstarch

3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (from one lemon)

2 1/2 graham cracker crumbs (I bought a box of graham crackers, smashed them in a ziplock bag, then measured from the bag)

10 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar (if you don't want to make whipped cream, you could always sub cool whip for a faster topping)

Place two pounds strawberries in a blender and blend on high until pureed, about 10 seconds (do in two batches if necessary). Combine milk, sugar, and cornstarch in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, and whisk until dissolved. Add the strawberry puree and lemon juice. Cook on high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture is thick and bubbling (about 7 minutes); remove from heat. Place graham cracker crumbs in a 10" x 1 1/2" deep pie plate, drizzle with melted butter and mix until all the crumbs are moistened. With the back of a spoon, press evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate to form a crust. Pour strawberry filling into crust and let cool completely (about 30 minutes). Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, place heavy cream in a mixing bowl and, with an electric mixer, blend on high until stiff peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar and blend another ten seconds. Using a spatula, spread the whipped cream over the filling. Slice reserved strawberries, add to top and serve.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like strawberry pie in this format, but the lemon juice gave the strawberries a nice crisp taste, and the buttery graham cracker crust balanced it out so perfectly. Bobby Heath had three pieces.  Hey Mrs. M, are you gonna make some pie? I hope so!