Originally published on June 8, 2014
I ate a lot of pie growing up. My grandma is sort of a genius when it comes to pastry. I can still vividly remember walking into her house on a Sunday afternoon and being hit with the aroma of that delicious combination of flaky pie crust, and a filling you could just imagine bubbling over in ooey gooey goodness. Strawberry rhubarb pie was always my very favourite of all the pies grandma made, which is why I’m so very happy that ‘the rhubarb month’ has finally arrived.
Remember when making strawberry rhubarb pie to never leave it open-faced. While it’s been done before, both of these fruits become pretty juicy while baking and so you need both a bottom and top crust to kind of keep it together. Also, while all-butter crusts can be nice, use either an all-shortening crust for this pie, or a half-and-half mixture of butter and shortening. Because there is so much juice from the fruit, you need a crust that can really stand up to it, and so, you need at least a little bit of shortening in there to help.
Ingredients:
1 pie dough recipe that provides 2 pieces, a top and bottom
2 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks, sliced (about 4 or 5 stalks)
2 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4″ pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar, for sprinkling
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.) Roll out one half of the pie crust so that you have a circle with a diameter of about 11 inches, and so the dough is about 1/4″ thick. Place it into an ungreased pie plate and press down gently so that the dough sort of adheres to the pie plate and the edges hang over the sides. Poke holes in the bottom with a fork five or six times, then cover loosely with a tea towel and place in the freezer for ten minutes.
3.) In a large bowl, mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar and flour. Pour the fruit into the bottom pie crust and dot with butter pieces.
4.) Roll out the top pie crust until it’s the same shape and width as the bottom crust. Using a pastry brush that’s been dipped in water, moisten the edge of the bottom pie crust. Lay the top pie crust over top, and trim the edges using sharp kitchen shears. Crimp the two crusts together to seal.
5.) Combine the egg with the teaspoon of water and use a fork to beat it slightly. Brush the egg wash over the top of the pie so it can form a glaze and sprinkle with one or two tablespoons of sugar. Transfer the pie to a baking sheet to catch any drips as it cooks.
6.) Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is hot and bubbly.
7.) Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
8.) Serve and enjoy!