At the beginning of summer I promised my children that I would make all manner of summer fruit pies for them. It wasn’t until Wednesday that one actually materialised. In my defence, it’s been a busy summer for me with guests and a heck of a lot of regular cooking. The fruit pies and the promise kind of slipped my mind. Now that summer is almost coming to an end, I felt I had to honour my promise.
There is a place on the way to the Rocky Mountain National Park that advertises fresh, baked pies and other novelties to lure the millions of visitors that flock to the Park. Their advertising works. They hooked us a few times and we tried their pies. The first time we went, the pies were excellent. We had ordered a slice of cherry and a slice of blackberry. Unfortunately, our subsequent visits have proved a bit disappointing. Pies are not as good and the slices are smaller. This is how the promise came to be. After the last mediocre, expensive slice, I told the children I could make a whole pie for the price of that one slice. They held on to my words (actually, my husband is the bigger culprit, he doesn’t forget!)
I was feeling generous Wednesday and decided that it was time to pay up. I haven’t made anything fun for awhile and figured this pie could fulfil promise, dessert and something fun all in one shot.
One of the family favourites is anything with strawberry rhubarb. We like crumbles, bars, crisps and pies made with sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb. Every summer I make jars of strawberry rhubarb jam that lasts us through winter. This summer was busy for us so there are no jam jars in the store cupboard.
The recipe I used is adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Cherry Rhubarb pie from her book “The Pie and Pastry Bible.” I like to use an all butter crust and prefer not to use any shortening in any of my pie crusts. To me they taste better and without any of the chemical after taste. Thursday morning this pie was finished. We got 8 slices from the pie.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
PIE:
1lb/454g strawberries, sliced in ½ inch pieces
2 cups/227g rhubarb, sliced in ½ inch pieces
2/3 cup/132g sugar
2 tablespoons/19g cornstarch/cornflour
salt, a pinch
PASTRY:
14 tablespoons/200g unsalted butter, cold
2 ¼ cups/320g all purpose/plain flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 to 7 tablespoons ice water
milk/egg wash to brush on top before baking
Make the pastry first and allow it to chill in the fridge.
In a food processor (easiest way), whiz the flour and salt together to combine.
Add the cold cubes of butter and pulse till butter is in small pieces and the mixture resembles
coarse breadcrumbs.
Add 5 tablespoons of water and and process gently and check to see if dough holds together.
If it feels to dry, add the extra water, a tablespoon at a time till the mixture holds in a dough.
Knead gently and gather the dough into a ball.
Divide the dough in half, flattening into discs.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 15 minutes.
While the pastry is chilling, cut up the strawberries and rhubarb and toss together with
the sugar, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
After 15 minutes, take out the chilled pastry and roll out to about 11”/28 cm round.
Line the bottom of a 9” /23 cm glass pie plate with the rolled pastry.
You can place the prepared plate in the fridge or freezer while rolling out the top layer.
Roll out the top layer of pastry.
Fill the lined pie plate with the strawberry-rhubarb mixture and carefully, cover with the top layer
of pastry. Fold the edges of the pastry under and make a decorative edge to seal.
Brush with egg wash or milk and cut a few slits in the pastry to vent steam.
Cover the pie loosely with some plastic wrap and chill in the fridge while oven is preheating.
Preheat oven to 425 deg F/218 deg C.
Place a baking sheet or oven stone on the bottom rack f the oven.
Preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes.
After the oven has preheated, take out the pie from the fridge and place on the stone or baking sheet. Bake the pie for about 40/50 minutes or until the top is golden and the juices are bubbling vigorously. After 20 minutes, cover the edges of the pie with some foil to prevent burning.
Once the pie is done, take out and place in rack to cool and set a little before cutting.
Enjoy with ice cream, whipped cream or by itself.
The pie was most certainly delicious. I like pies because I love pastry. Anything, sweet or savoury wrapped up in buttery pastry, is just heavenly. Summer fruits will be gone soon and I am a little sad that I didn’t get to utilise them fully this year. I had good intentions to make many different pies and crostatas, cobblers and crisps.
Fall is around the corner with its myriad of fall fruits and vegetables. I can already envision a beautiful, golden glistening apple pie exuding a fragrance of sweet vanilla and cinnamon. The house smells amazing when there is an apple pie baking.
What are your favourite pies? I tend to favour fruit pies but I love pecan pie.
Did you get a chance to use any beautiful summer fruit?
Thank you for reading and have a great weekend!
Glamorous Glutton says
Strawberries and rhubarb sounds delicious,what a great looking pie. GG
Nazneen says
One of the best combinations ever! I love to make a crumble usually, less fussy with rolling out pastry and such. Serve with lashings of Bird’s custard. YUM!
Glamorous Glutton says
What a great looking pie, I’ve never tried strawberries in pie, looks tasty. GG
Luv'n Spoonfuls says
This looks so gorgeous, and the color…to die for! A feast for the eyes as well as the palate! I love berries and rhubarb…doesn’t seem like summer without at least one pie!
Reeni says
Your pie is gorgeous bubbling over with all those sweet juices! I only tried rhubarb for the first time in my life this summer and I loved it. My favorite pie is pecan too!
Heavenly Housewife says
I too have all these good intentions of things I plan to make but don’t get around to. So glad to see that u made this beautiful pie. It looks so vibrant and juicy. beautifully done daaahling!
Nazneen says
Thanks HH. Yes, I am always full of good intentions but then life takes over. Things don’t always go as planned with 4 children.
Ameena says
Marie Callenders used to have this blueberry apple pie which was divine. I also liked their rhubarb. Haven’t had either in a hundred years thanks to my daughter ruining my metabolism but this looks absolutely fabulous. Your kids are so lucky!
Nazneen says
We loved Marie Callenders. I think they are all shut down now. We used to get their Razzleberry and Dutch Apple I think. I do like pies but don’t get to make them as often as I’d like. My metabolism isn’t what it used to be either!
Rasha @ PBAddiction says
Strawberry Rhubarb is a combination I absolutely love! This looks delicious.
Nazneen says
Thanks Rasha! It was delicious. I sneaked in a couple of pieces but my hubby is still upset he only got one 🙂
Caterina B says
Yum eeee! That looks absolutely delicious and I don’t even like pie all that much. My hubby loves pie so I should make one from time to time because I adore him. But…we both should watch our waistlines.
Where does one get rhubarb in August? Did you freeze some in the Spring? I should have done that. If….IF I made a pie it would have to be apple pie. We have apple trees and right now we also have a bear who has been camped out under them eating and eating for six long days. I am getting tired of him/her and want him/her to move on to better pastures. His presence keeps me and the dogs on “high alert” all day, although he doesn’t show any inclination to climb the fence and enter the yard.
Maybe I’ll make a pie tomorrow if he’ll share some apples with me!
Nazneen says
On my! A bear! Did it leave yet? I actually found fresh rhubarb at Sprouts, believe it or not! I heard that you can get rhubarb well into July…so, I went a looking. I think the season is coming to an end now. I love how you can get frozen rhubarb though so you can make treats all year round now. I love rhubarb and always have some in my freezer. Hope you got some apples!
Tammi Peck says
Oh my goodness, does this look yummy! Reminds me of my youth growing up in the Midwest where rhubarb is plentiful. It should work with frozen rhubarb, right? I guess I can thaw it first. Rhubarb isn’t so easy to come by in the produce section….as least not here in Texas. Thanks for the recipe!
Nazneen says
You don’t have to thaw it out. I made crumbles with frozen rhubarb. Texas gets rhubarb just around March/April and then its gone. I am surprised I found it here in August! I am guessing your garden is done for the season?