My favorite things!

2/13/13

A light bulb finally went on in my head as I was laying in bed last night.  I've been trying to figure out what kind of pie I want to make for the Habitat for Humanity pie auction on Saturday, February 23rd.  I was wanting something different.  Now, I have it!  However, I will have to try it out ahead of time to see if it will hold up long enough to take out to the pie auction at the Community Building.

This recipe comes from my mother, Gladys Arndorfer.  She usually makes it while wintering in Texas, where the grapefruit are fresh and plentiful.  It is a delicious, unusual, and refreshing fruit pie.

Grapefruit Pie

One baked 9" pie crust

Filling:
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. water (skimp a little)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch (be generous) 
1/8 tsp. salt
1 3-oz box dry strawberry jello
3 grapefruit, sectioned and membranes removed*
Whipped Topping

Cook sugar, water, cornstarch and salt until thick and clear, then add the jello and stir until dissolved.  Gently stir in broken sections of the grapefruit and pour into baked shell.  Chill until set.  Top with whipped topping.

*If you are not familiar with the procedure to easily peel and section the grapefruit, there is a You Tube video available.

Comment:  I made two pies to see how it would hold up but found that it wasn't going to hold up for the pie auction.  I had problems with the filling leaking under the crust due to the holes I poked in the crust before baking so it wouldn't bubble up.  On the second pie I even chilled the filling before putting it in the cooled crust, but it still leaked through the holes. While it is a good-tasting pie, it didn't turn out as pretty as I'd hoped and the whipped cream wanted to go flat.  It would be best to put the whipped cream on the slices of pie just before serving it.