Almond Cream And Strawberry Pie

Toast the almonds in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are brown, stirring half way through. Cool, and set a few nuts aside to be sprinkled on the finished pie. Grind the rest of the nuts finely in a food processor or blender. (You must cool the nuts before grinding so they do not turn into almond-butter.)
Combine the sugar, half-and-half, and egg yolks in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Beat smooth and add the ground nuts. Scald the mixture, being careful not to boil it, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with enough milk or water to make it a smooth creamy liquid. Add this to the almond mixture and continue stirring over low heat until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Pour into the pie crust* and cool. You can make the pie to this point and chill it in the refrigerator for several hours. To serve, spoon generously with the strawberries and reserved almonds.
* To make the fluffier filling, chill almond mixture in the refrigerator (not in crust). Whip your cream and fold 1/3 of it into the cold almond mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest of the cream. Spoon into the pie crust and serve with strawberries.