Strawberry Banana Pie

Silky, smooth, and light as air.  Perfect for summer BBQs.

Ingredients:

• 1 cooked piecrust
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
• 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup unsweetened strawberry puree
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 6 drops red food colourng
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large banana, thinly sliced
• 1 cup whipping cream
• fresh strawberries for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare pie crust as directed.  Cool.
2. Measure water into a 1 1/2 quart saucepan.  Sprinkle in gelatin.  let stand 1 minute.
3. Add half the sugar, the salt and egg yolks.
4. Stir constantly over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is hot and thin-syrup consistency.  DO NOT BOIL.  Remove from heat.
5. Let cool slightly.  Add in strawberry puree, lemon juice, vanilla and food colouring.
6. In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy.  Gradually beat in the remaining sugar.  continue beating until egg whites hold soft peaks.
7. Whisk gelatin mixture until smooth.  Gently fold in egg whites, half at a time until blended.
8. In same mixing bowl, whip cream until peaks form.  Fold into the filling.  Fold in the sliced bananas.
9. Spoon into cooled crust.  If there seems to be too much filling, spoon only to the edge of the crust, chill 5 minutes and then add the remainder.  Garnish with fresh strawberries. 
10. Chill until set for at least 5 hours or up to 24 hours.

Note:  For the strawberry puree, I mashed up fresh strawberries.