strawberry rhubarb custard pie

As a spring rite, as soon as the first tender rhubarb stalks start poking up thru the warm soil we start planning our rhubarb cooking and baking. The season is short, and the list of favorite rhubarb recipes is long – so it is always a battle of the favorites! Rhubarb Jam is always first, but next on the list is two Strawberry Rhubarb pies – one for the family to enjoy, and one for Skipper to have all to himself! The combination of rhubarb with strawberries or raspberries is a fruity match made in heaven. The sweetness of the fruit balances out the tartness of the rhubarb, baking into a beautiful, glorious, sweetly tart pink pie. This is my favorite recipe and the way that my Mom always made it – with a custard filing!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crust: (or use one package of pre-made refrigerated pie crusts)
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
11 tablespoons butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
7 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco), chilled
1/3 cup ice water

For the Pie Filling:

3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
4 cups rhubarb, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon tapioca (quick-cooking)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 large eggs (room temperature)

1/3 cup half & half or heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg white (room temperature)

Maple cinnamon sugar sprinkles

HOW WE MAKE THIS:

Clean and cut rhubarb, place in a large mixing bowl. Cover cut rhubarb with boiling water and let stand for five minutes, drain extremely well. (This little trick will keep your rhubarb tender!)

To Make the Crust: Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the flour mixture, using your fingers to toss and coat the butter with some flour. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with five 1-second pulses. Add the shortening and continue to pulse until the flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn the mixture into a medium bowl.

Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon of the ice water over the mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold the water into the flour mixture. Press down on the dough with the spatula until the dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon of remaining ice water if the dough does not come together. Divide the dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten each into disks, dust lightly with flour, wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove dough from the refrigerator; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Make the Filling: Gently toss the rhubarb and strawberries with sugar, tapioca and cinnamon; let stand for 15 minutes.

Whip three eggs in medium mixing bowl, add half & half (or heavy cream) and vanilla.

Pour egg custard mixture over fruit mixture and blend gently.

Assemble the Pie: Roll the larger dough disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer and fit dough into 9-inch pie plate, leaving dough that overhangs the lip in place.

Turn the fruit mixture, including juices, into the pie shell. Scatter the butter pieces over the fruit.

Roll the smaller disk on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle. Lay over the fruit. Trim the top and bottom dough edges to ½-inch beyond the lip of the pie plate. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that the folded edge is flush with the edge of the pie plate. Flute the dough or press with a fork to seal. Cut four slits at right angles on the top of the dough to allow steam to escape or cut shapes out of pie crust top with small cookie cutters. You can also prepare a lattice top crust if you prefer.

Whip egg white with fork, add 1 teaspoon of milk. Using a pastry brush, brush egg bath over top of pie crust. Sprinkle generously with maple cinnamon sugar.

Place in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.

Place the pie on a baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes. Place pie crust saver around pie crust edge. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until the juices bubble and the crust is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes longer.

Remove pie from oven, place on top of aluminum foil (this will capture any pie juices that bubble over as the pie cools).

Cool pie at least 4 hours before serving so the juices and the custard have time to thicken.

YIELD: Makes 8 generous servings

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