Receta Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie...Happy 4th of July!
They say that if you spend 10,000 hours doing something then you're an expert...well then, you can call me an expert pie maker. I figure I've spent at least that many hours trying to make pie...bad ones and good ones and today I made one fandamtastic pie! The boy loves Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie and I've tried my best over the years to make him a pie that he thinks is better than the one the local Safeway sells...granted, the bar was not that high, but you could raise it as high as you want and this pie would soar over it! So yea for me!!! Hip-hip-hooray!! I did it! Can I get a round of applause?!? I'm sure you're thinking, "That's great Nan, blow your own pie horn..." And to that I say, go ahead and call me a pie-horn-blower - I've earned the title. I have done the time, put in the hours, rolled enough dough to circumnavigate the globe...chopped, diced, whipped and blended every kind of ingredient availabe to me and poured it into perfect pie crusts...testing and tasting...and all of that has led me to this pie...so yes, I'm an expert pie maker, albeit self-appointed, and I'm blowing my pie horn!
The thermometer seemed to be stuck on 60 degrees for the entire month of June, but today the weather wizards have promised we'll hit 70! And we have SUN! Could it be that summer has arrived one day early in Seattle?!?! As the rest of the country swelters under oppresive heat, with fires raging all around, just know if I could do a rain dance and send our weather your way, I would. I'm that kind of gal. And because it's still cool out, I can bake pies...no worries about heating up the kitchen...which is just one reason why I'm baking pies! We still have rhubarb in the grocery store and fresh local berries have arrived - put them together and you'll get fireworks! (Even if it's not the 4th of July!)
This pie could not be any easier...the rhubarb is not cooked before hand, just sliced and mixed with the strawberries and sugar...then dumped and mounded into the pie crust. The only difficult thing about this pie is waiting for 3 hours to cut into it after it comes out of the oven...oh, you can cut into it sooner, but it will still be a bit runny...three hours is the magic number...it will still be warm, warm enough to melt vanilla ice cream on top of the pie or the coldest of hearts...even the misters.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie - Pots and Pins
Pastry for 2 crusts, this is the recipe I use, (and it makes enough for 2 crusts) it's by far superior to any other out there...trust me...but you can use purchased pie crust, I won't judge you!
- 4 cups rhubarb (about 5 to 6 large stalks) trimmed, sliced into scant 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 cups strawberries (about 2 lbs.) stems removed, sliced/quartered
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup Minute Tapioca
- 1Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 9-inch pie pan (do not use a deep dish pie pan)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a bit more than half of the pastry into a 12-inch circle. Transfer pastry to pie pan, do not trim edges. In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, lemon juice, tapioca, corn starch and salt. Mix to coat. Pour mixture into pie crust and gently push down so all of the mixture will fit, mounding up in the center. Dot fruit with butter. Roll out remaining pastry crust to an 11-inch circle and place on top of pie. Trim crust edges so they hang over pie pan about a half-inch, then fold top pie crust under bottom and crimp edges.
In a small bowl whisk egg yolk with a teaspoon of water. Using a pastry brush, brush top of pie with yolk glaze. If desired, decorate pie top by rolling out the left over pastry and cutting with cookie cutters, I used a small star cutter. Add decorative pieces, if using, and brush the tops of them, too. Make 4 or 5 slits in pie, to vent. Put pie on cookie sheet, to catch any drips, and bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for additional 25 to 30 minutes or until top of pie is golden brown. Let pie cool on rack for 3 hours before cutting, so the juices will set...if you can wait that long! Pie can be kept unrefrigerated on counter or you can refrigerate it, just depends on what you like.
The mister and I are off for a one day vacay...we've got an All-American 4th of July planned...I'll tell you all about it when we return! In the meantime...HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
My new 4th of July quilt was quilted, bound and birthed just in time for the big day! I LOVE it! I will drag it all over the city today...and try not to wear it as a cape!