Recipe: Strawberry Meringue Pie

What’s the best part of summer? Berry pies! Really, the best part of any season is dessert, but I particularly love pies and cobblers in the summer. Blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry… there’s no ‘berry’ dessert I’ll snub my nose to.

Before summer is over, try this summer berry recipe from the Boulders, A Waldorf Astoria Resort for Strawberry-Meringue Pie (it’s only 198 calories per serving!).

Strawberry-Meringue Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Executive Chef: Michel Pieton

The skinny: 198 calories per serving, 1.6 g fat (0.3 g saturated), 41.5 g carbs, 1.8 g fiber, 4.2 g protein

• Canola-oil cooking spray
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 4 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• .5 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Heat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9″ pie plate with cooking spray; pour in crumbs; press to form an even layer. Bake 15 minutes. Mash 2 cups berries with 1 cup sugar and salt in a medium pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; stir. Add gelatin; stir until dissolved. Remove from heat; add 1 tsp vanilla and remaining 2 cups berries. Mix egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl; beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining 2 tbsp sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla; beat until stiff. Spoon berries onto piecrust; top with meringue. Bake 12 minutes. Cool; refrigerate at least 3 hours.