Texas Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

Strawberry shortcake

• Cooking spray
• 450 g strawberries, hulled
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 and 1/4 cups butter at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
• Pink gel food coloring, optional

Whipped cream

• 7 gr. powdered gelatin
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

Strawberry Shortcake Topping

• 110g Lotus Biscoff Spiced Cookies (about 4 pcs.)
• 110g strawberry cream sandwich cookies or shortbread cookies (about 4 pcs.)
• 1 package (77g) strawberry wafers, such as Keebler (about 12 wafers)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to extend over the edges of the pan. Lightly spray the parchment with cooking spray.
2. Strawberry shortcake:
   
   Place 220g of strawberries in a blender and puree until smooth; you should have 1 cup of strawberry puree. Set aside. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
4. Mixing on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the strawberry puree, beginning and ending with the flour.
5. Add vanilla and mix until smooth, but whisk. Add a few drops of pink food coloring, if desired. Chop the remaining 220 g of strawberries; you should have 1 cup of berries. Stir the chopped strawberries into the batter.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes (see Note).
7. Let the cake cool slightly in the pan, then invert it onto a wire rack or serving plate. Remove the parchment and let cool completely, 30-35 minutes.
8. Whipped cream:
   
   Add the gelatin to the cream in a bowl and beat by hand until completely dissolved. Continue beating with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on low speed. Gradually add the powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla until fully incorporated.
9. Topping:
   
   Cookies and wafers have different textures, so they need to be ground separately. Grind the spice cookies in a food processor, then transfer to a plate. Grind the strawberry cream sandwich cookies and transfer the crumbs to the same plate. Grind the wafers, transfer to a plate, and mix with the cookie crumbs.
10. Innings:
    Cover the cake with whipped cream and generously sprinkle with topping (see Note). Slice the cake and serve.
    
    
    Note:
    
    Gelatin helps stabilize whipped cream. If desired, regular gelatin can be replaced with 80 grams of fruit jelly mix or instant pudding mix. When substituting, use only 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar.
    
    When using a disposable aluminum baking dish, the cooking time will be closer to 40 minutes.
    
    Strawberry Shortcake Topping can be stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks. It can also be drizzled over parfaits, ice cream, pancakes, or Belgian waffles.