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Told you! Strawberry rhubarb pie (with homemade crust!). It was bound to happen ????.
When the rhubarb is ready, spring is truly here. Even with my new #healthgoals, i couldn’t say no to a strawberry rhubarb pie!
I’ve been kicking some serious “get fit” butt by the way! Got a solid week under my belt and feeling great. Plus, we’ve been doing SO GOOD with food. I made a big batch of slow cooker three bean chili on Sunday to last through the week for work out days ????????. Smoothies have obviously made an appearance, and some double chocolate granola with plain yogurt and berries for a sweet but healthier treat.
Still, it’s spring and I need me some strawberry rhubarb pie! I’ve been recipe testing and taste trying for a couple of springtime’s now trying to find the ultimate strawberry rhubarb pie. Finally, I think we’re there! Let’s talk deliciousness.
First off, I’ve figured out a golden ratio for this recipe. Too many strawberries and there’s just too much juice. You want to use a little more rhubarb than strawberries but also use enough of both to fill up your pie. I found 5 cups of rhubarb and 3 cups of strawberries to be just right.
Second, lemon zest instead of lemon juice. Use lemon zest to add great flavor while avoiding adding more liquid to the filling.
Third, try a little brown sugar white sugar combo. I use ¾ of a cup white sugar and ¼ cup of brown sugar. That little bit of brown sugar adds a bit more richness to the pie with a more depth to the flavor.
Forth, strawberry rhubarb pie needs a smidge of ginger. Just a ½ teaspoon of ground ginger will go a long way. You can even use fresh ginger if you have it! Just mince it on up and throw it in the filling.
Fifth, don’t overdo it on the corn starch! ¼ cup is plenty. I also add a little flour just to help everything set up nicely. Too much corn starch can ruin a pie filling by giving the final product a gluey texture.
Finally, a good pie needs a good crust. Especially a pie like this with such a juicy filling! I use straight up butter, a pinch of salt and a little sugar to sweeten up the crust.
Hopefully you enjoy this strawberry rhubarb pie as much as I did! Top a slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and maybe even a drizzle of lemon curd ????????????.
Springtime Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Description
A classic spring dessert full of the tastes of the season with a flaky, buttery crust.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons white sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup cold water
- Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon cold water, beaten
For the Filling
- 5 cups rhubarb (about 1 lb), chopped
- 3 cups strawberries, hulled and diced into large pieces
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 2 tablespoons unbleached, all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt until fully combined.
- Add the cubed butter, and using either a pastry blender or two forks, cut the butter into the mixture until the pieces are around the size of a pea.
- Pour in the water and the vanilla extract. Stir until the dough clumps together.
- Move the dough to a floured surface (you can keep the dough in the bowl as long as you add enough flour to your hands) and fold the dough into itself until the flour is incorporated (if it is too sticky, add some more flour to the surface or your hands) and forms a ball.
- Divide the dough in half and pat the halves down into two discs, about ½ inch thick. Wrap each one in plastic and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Remove one disc from the fridge. This will be your top crust. Roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place on a round cookie sheet and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove the other disc, roll out into a 12-inch circle, Place in a 9-inch pie pan, trim the overhang to 1 inch, and put back in the fridge to chill while working on the top crust.
- Remove the top crust from the freezer. Using a lattice cutter, stencils, cut outs, etc. decorate the pie crust as you desire, making sure it stays chilled by putting back in the freezer if it gets too warm. When done, place into the fridge to chill while making the filling.
Assemble the Pie
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling until thoroughly mixed.
- Gently top the filling with the top crust and tuck edges underneath the bottom crust, crimping the edges as desired.
- Brush the top crust with the egg wash. Place back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.
- Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and cook for 60-70 minutes, until juices are bubbling, turning halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- Remove from heat and let cool at least 1 hour, preferably 3-4, to allow the filling to set up before serving with scoops of vanilla ice cream!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Lola says
Hello, in the body of the post you say the perfect ratio is 5 cups rhubarb and 3 cups strawberries but in the recipe you've got 4 cups rhubarb. Which should I go with? Thanks so much! I've got a massive rhubarb patch that I will use to make this pie!!
Aberdeen says
Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I've edited the recipe to say 5 cups of rhubarb, but when in doubt go by weight -> you'll want about 1 lb 😊.