It's strawberry season! Time to celebrate with this favorite, any-occasion pie

You made it to strawberry season! Congratulations everyone: You did it! (offered with the enthusiasm of Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf on “The World’s Best Cup of Coffee”)

Strawberry season marks the beginning of so many wonderful things: New produce available, longer, warmer days and the promise of summer. This is a great year-round pie, but local, in-season strawberries are absolutely unmatched in flavor.

This version of strawberry pie has a cream cheese filling under the strawberry layer, which lends a cheesecake-feel to the whole thing. For Easter, Mother’s Day, and any other potluck for the next several months, I promise you will absolutely adore this.

Note: Check your labels, but with a gluten-free crust this pie is gluten free as written. 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Prep: 20 mins Cook: 15 minutes plus 4 hours chilling Yield: It’s a pie. So, it depends on how generously you slice it.

• 1 pie crust, parbaked and cooled

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• 8 ounces whipped cream cheese

• ¼ cup powdered sugar

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered if large

• ⅓ cup water

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons sugar

1. Filling: In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the heavy cream for about 5 minutes until fluffy and soft peaks form. Add the cream cheese and powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth and combined.

1. Strawberries: Whisk together the water and cornstarch. Heat a skillet to medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the berries, sugar, and cornstarch mixture. Stir until the mixture bubbles and thickens, then turn the heat OFF. Let the berries cool slightly.

1. Scoop the cream cheese filling into the prepared pie crust. Use a spoon or spatula to scrape some of the filling up the sides of the crust, essentially lining the crust with the cream cheese mixture.

1. Fill the crust/cream cheese mixture with the still-warm strawberries, mounding them up in the center of the pie.

1. Chill the strawberry cream cheese pie for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or more. The pie will be fine uncovered in the fridge for one night; after that tent it loosely with foil or plastic wrap.

1. To serve, slice the pie straight from the fridge and enjoy cold or at room temp. Enjoy!

Notes and Tips:

• Whipped Cream: The best way to ensure sturdy whipped cream is to use very cold cream. If you’re concerned about your cream whipping, place the cream and the mixing bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes or so before beginning the recipe. If the cream is still fairly soft after 5 minutes, let it go a bit longer until very stiff peaks form.

• Crust: My favorite pie crust ever comes from Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery. They usually stock them in the freezer, so grab a few and keep them around for all pie emergencies. A graham cracker crust is also delicious with this pie filling.

• Parbaking The Crust: To parbake, line the empty pie crust with foil and fill with sugar, dry beans, or pie weights. Bake according to package directions until cooked through, then let cool completely. If you use the sugar method, the sugar can be reused in baking, just let it cool before you put it back in a container.

• Make In Advance: This pie keeps really well lightly covered in the fridge for at least a few days. The strawberries may release a little bit of liquid, but the crust and cream cheese layer form a nice barrier to keep things sturdy.

• Frozen Strawberries: Full disclosure, I only tested this recipe with fresh strawberries. I think frozen strawberries would work really well, just eliminate the water from the cornstarch mixture. Instead, toss the frozen berries with the sugar and cornstarch and cook in a skillet just until some of the liquid releases and thickens.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Strawberry season! Try this favorite, any-occasion pie