The Most Delicious Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie


I love strawberries.  I always have.  I could eat them 3 for each meal for weeks on end.  J likes strawberries, but he likes baked goods made with strawberries even better.  I make this pie every single year at the onset of strawberry season and once or twice in the winter with frozen strawberries and rhubarb (if you're using frozen, don't unthaw the fruit and increase the flour to 1/2 cup).

This pie is absolutely delicious.  It's sweet, a touch of sour from the rhubarb, warm from the spices, and oh so juicy.  (if your family are not fans of allspice or cloves, certainly omit.  but keep the cinnamon if you can) It is the PERFECT spring dessert.


Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Makes 1 - 9 inch pie

Crust:
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1/3 cup lard or vegetable shortening, chilled
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup ice water

Pie Filling:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons tapioca
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
tiny pinch of ground allspice, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
5 cups strawberries, washed, stems removed and sliced
1 cup rhubarb, washed, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces (I remove the stringy outer layer first but you don't have to)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

To make the crust:
Dice the butter and vegetable shortening and return to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8-12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured surface and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To make the pie filling:
Put the strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl. Add the flour, tapioca, sugar, and spices {including salt}and gently stir until thoroughly combined.

To put it all together:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well floured surface into a circle to fit a 9 inch pie pan. Place the first rolled dough in the pie pan, then pour in the filling ingredients. Place the butter on top of the filling. Cover with the second rolled dough and crimp the edges. Cut several steam vents in the top crust using a sharp paring knife. Place the pie in the refrigerator until the oven comes to temp.

Baking the pie:
Place the pie on a cookie sheet {to prevent any spill-over onto your oven floor} and put in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue baking 40-45 minutes longer, or until pie is bubbly and the crust is golden.

Transfer pie to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve.


1 comment

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on this post!