Instructions: Melt butter in a 9-inch microwave-proof pie plate. Add flour and sugars to pie plate; mix with fork and, using your fingers, mold resulting dough around sides and bottom of plate. Prick with a fork, cover with waxed paper and microwave for 7 to 8 minutes, or until crust smells shortbread-y.

Mix the strawberries, tapioca, sugar and orange extract in a bowl. Stir well, and let sit 15 minutes.

Spoon the filling into the baked pie crust. Dot generously with butter, re-cover with waxed paper, and microwave for 8 minutes, or until fruit bubbles. Leave pie in turned-off microwave a couple of minutes, then remove. Using a fork, smooth out the surface of the pie, pushing down any strawberries that arent covered with liquid. Let pie cool somewhat before serving.

Just A Hint...
Not that strawberries are all that hard to chop... But if you find the job tedious, or need berries chopped quite finely, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and set the sheet in the freezer. When berries are frozen through, chop them in a food processor, as coarsely or as finely as needed.

NOTES : This is not Pie As We Know It. Rather, its a combination of fresh berries, butter and sugar, with just enough thickener, in the form of flour and tapioca, to kind of hold the whole thing together. Its a novelty food, really; I mean, microwave pie? "Impress your friends and co-workers by whipping up this pie right in the office! Its fast! Its easy! And only 20 minutes from start to finish!" Remember that blueberries, blackberries and peaches work just as well as strawberries in this recipe.

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