Strawberry Pie with Meringue Crust

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Thoroughly grease a 9-inch pie pan. The meringue crust really sticks, so be sure to grease it well.

2. Divide the eggs, reserving the whites and placing them in a large bowl. Save the yolks for another use (such as homemade noodles) or discard.

3. Crush your Saltine crackers into fine crumbs. I like to do this by putting them into a zippered bag and crushing them with my fist until very fine (excellent stress reliever). Use your preferred method to chop your pecans into medium sized pieces (smaller than the bags of pieces you get at the store, but not into crumbs).

4. Measure the first amount of sugar and have this ready along with the crackers and nuts. Add the baking powder to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form when you lift the beaters out of the egg whites. Gradually beat in the sugar. Then gently fold in the crackers, then the pecans.

5. Spread the meringue into the prepared pie pan and shape it into a crust with an shallow indention in the middle. Bake at 300 F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool completely. It will crack a bit, that’s OK. This can be done up to a day in advance.

6. Hull and slice the strawberries and place them in a mound in the center of the crust.

7. Pour the cream into a medium-sized bowl (preferably a metal bowl that has been pre-chilled for 30 minutes in the freezer along with the beaters). Beat the cream until soft peaks form when you lift the beaters out. Beat in the remaining amount of sugar. Spread cream on the top of the berries and serve!

8. Best served the day it is made. Store in the fridge if it is prepared more than 1 hour in advance.