Monday, June 1, 2009

Now, about that pie!

It is strawberry season here and Strawberry-Rhubarb pie is my absolute favorite pie, really the only one I actually get cravings for. I'm not a big baker but I did go ahead and bake this pie this weekend and (da-da-da!) I even made the crust myself. It's something I've not undertaken for nearly a decade because it turned out SO BAD the first time. I adopted the philosophy of my neighbor who says, "Pillsburry just does a much better job than me." I got my recipe from SimplyRecipes.com and it turned out great. (Her recipe is much more meticulous than how I wrote down her recipe, so if that is your style I recommend searching her site for her version.) The pie crust wasn't even that hard to do and I got that "this is entirely handmade" good feeling. After all that, however, I forgot to wear my apron! I know, how is that possible?
So, here it is. Enjoy Spring!

Filling:
3 cups rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces (trim the outside stringy layer)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (I subbed in lemon and liked it alot)

Pie Crust

1) Preheat oven at 400 degrees, mix rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, salt and rind and let sit for 10 minutes.
2) Turn into pastry-lined pan. Top with other pastry, trim edges and cut slits to let steam escape.
3) Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce to 350 degrees for another 30-40 minutes and cool on a rack.
4) Enjoy it hot (it will be runny) or let it cool for a more solid pie filling.

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 Tablespoons ice water

1) cut butter and freeze for 15 minutes to 1 hour
2) Combine flour, salt, and sugar in food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse 6-8 times until it is coarse and pea-sized.
3) Add ice water 1 Tablespoon at a time pulsing until it clumps together (pinch it and if it stays together it is done. If not, add more water and continue pulsing)
4) Remove the dough and place on clean surface. Shape into 2 discs kneading just enough to form discs but with bits of butter still visible. Sprinkle flour around the discs and wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
5) Remove from fridge and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to a 12 inch circle. Check that it is not sticking to your countertop or cutting board. Place in a 9 inch pie plate and trim sides.
6) Add in the filling
7)Roll out second crust, place on top and cut a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold overhand under the bottom pastry and crimp. Score top to let steam escape.

Up next, I gotta do something about this, what a mess:

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