Blue Ribbon Strawberry Pie

Bake pie shell. Cool. Chop 1 c. of berries. Combine sugar & cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in water gradually until smooth. Add berries. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens & boils. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring. Cool in refrigerator 30 minutes. Pour 3/4 of the syrup mixture into prepared pie crust. Stand up remaining strawberries in pie crust, reserving 1/4 c. (about 3 lg strawberries) for garnish. Pour remaining syrup over strawberries. Chill until firm, about 3 hours. To serve, top each slice with whipped topping & slice of reserved strawberry.