Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

If I do say so myself, this might actually be the best pie I have ever made. People inhaled it standing up. Someone left a fork in the pie pan and kept coming back for bites. Someone picked the lattice crust off the top and ate it. There were fights over the last piece. I can’t stop thinking about the tiny sliver I got and wishing I had more. I will definitely be making this again. Both the rhubarb and the strawberries were from the farmers market. If you frequent the Portland Farmers Market, the strawberries were from the Unger Farms stand.

For the Crust
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
3/4 c unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/4 c shortening, cold
4-5 tbsp ice cold water

For the Filling
3 1/2 c strawberries, hulled and sliced (approx 2 pints)
3 1/2 c rhubarb, diced like celery (3-4 stalks)
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk
Optional: sprinkle of coarse sugar (or whatever you have on hand)

For the crust
Put your flour, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Add in your COLD butter and shortening and pulse until the butter and shortening are the size of peas about 10 seconds.
With your machine running, slowly pour your water in through the feed tube, a tablespoon at a time, just until your dough starts to come together. 30 seconds max.
Pour your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly form it into a large ball.
Divide the dough in half and form two flattened, rounded disks. Wrap them in parchment paper or plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator for an hour or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pull your dough out of the refrigerator 10 minutes before using or out of the freezer 30 minutes before.
For the filling
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
While your dough is setting, prep your strawberries and rhubarb.
In a large bowl, gently combine your strawberries and rhubarb with you granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together your egg and milk. Set aside.
For the assembly
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 12 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. (It may need to sit at room temp for a few minutes until it’s pliable.)
Gently place it in your 9-inch pie plate.
Roll out your second disk of dough to 12 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. (If you are interested in trying a lattice top, I recommend an internet search for a how-to video.)
Carefully, pour your filling into the pie plate lined with the first disk of dough.
Gently lift your second rolled out disk of dough and lay it on top of the filling.
Trim the excess dough around the edges of both the top and bottom crust to about 1/2 inch.
Tuck the dough from the top and the bottom under the bottom layer. Using your thumb and pointer finger on one hand and the pointer finger of the other, crimp the edges together to seal the dough.
Brush your dough with the egg and milk mixture and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Using a fork or a paring knife, puncture a few air vents into the top dough.
Place your pie on a cookie sheet to catch spills and carefully put it in your 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Turn your oven down to 350 degrees and cook another 40-50 minutes, or until your crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.
Allow pie to cool for 45-60 minutes.
Slice it and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

YIELD: 8-10 servings

If you are interested in trying out a lattice top pie crust, HERE is a link to a how-to video. I believe the woman in the video would describe my lattice-top as haphazard.