Strawberry Pie with Crumb Topping

Yield: one pie
Cook time: 15-20 minutes on the stovetop for the filling; 15 minutes in the oven at 375F, plus another approximately 45 minutes at 350F

Ingredients:

• 1+ qts. of strawberries, washed, cored, and sliced
• 3/4 c. of granulated sugar
• 1 c., plus 2-3 Tbs. of flour
• 5-6 Tbs. of butter
• squirt of lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. of ground nutmeg
• 1/2. c. of brown sugar
• 1 graham cracker crust (pre-made is fine)

Method:

1. cook the sliced strawberries with 2 Tbs. of butter, 2-3 Tbs. of flour, nutmeg, lemon juice, and the granulated sugar until they cook down, and the juice thickens up a bit
2. pour them into a strainer over another pot, and let the juice drip through
3. reduce the juice by about 1/3 to 1/2 until it thickens some more, while the strawberries cool
4. melt 3-4 Tbs. of butter, add the brown sugar and flour, then mix it until crumbly
5. spread the strawberries out in the pie crust, and pour the reduced juice over them
6. sprinkle the topping over it, and bake at 375F for about 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 350F, and bake for another 45 minutes or so.
7. cool on a rack and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and a sprig of mint
8. 

Notes:

1. The top on this pie browned more than I would have liked, but did so almost all within the first 10 minutes in the oven.
   
2. Normally, I'd use a regular pie crust, but I didn't have enough butter, so I went with a store-bought graham cracker crust I happened to have on hand.
3. I recommend using a cookie sheet under the pie dish, since the filling will bubble over a little.