Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
I heard a bunch of cool kids were posting pie recipes yesterday, on March 14 (aka 3/14, aka Pi Day, aka a logical day to celebrate pie). And yeah, I guess that makes sense. Pie on Pi Day. I’ll give you that.
But you know me. I’m an innovator. A free thinker. A woman not afraid to forge her own path in life. (Or maybe I’m just a mom with a sick baby who wasn’t able to write this post in time…who can say?) At any rate, I’ve decided that all the really, REALLY cool kids will be posting pie recipes today, on March 15! From here on out, March 15 will no longer be known as The Ides of March—rather, it shall be called The Pides of March, and thus, this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is right on time.
My original plan for Pi Day—I mean, The Pides of March—was to make a beautifully tall blueberry-lemon pie. However, when I got to the grocery store and saw gleaming pints of giant strawberries and rhubarb so pink it practically glowed, I knew my decision was made for me. (The outrageous prices on the previously-cheap blueberries didn’t help their case, either.) When confronted with these sights, strawberry rhubarb was the only possible option, so strawberry rhubarb it would be. After all, how could I say no to these:
I couldn’t say no to them in the store, and I definitely couldn’t say no to them once they were tossed with sugar and baked in a flaky buttery crust. Brazen hussy that I am, I ended up saying “yes” several times over the course of a few days, beginning with this heart-stopping first glance at the pie, bubbling and dripping fresh from the oven.
Confession time: This was actually my first time making a strawberry rhubarb pie! I tend to prefer fresh strawberries over cooked, and I tend to prefer cake with gobs of frosting over pie, so…it hadn’t exactly been at the top of my must-bake list in the past. However, I think I’d forgotten just how good a freshly made fruit pie can be, because this amazing strawberry rhubarb version has me rethinking my entire frosting vs. cake philosophy. Maybe I’ve been deluding myself with my buttercream loyalty. Maybe 2014 should be the year pies and I move from a casual friendship to become besties. (Are you allowed to eat your best friends? Please say yes.)
Because I didn’t have a tried and true strawberry rhubarb recipe of my own, I started working off of one from Bon Appetit. I increased both the strawberries and rhubarb, and added some extra gelling agents, but used the skeleton of that recipe, and after tasting it, I don’t think I’ll change a thing next time. It was the perfect blend of sweet and tart, with a bold rhubarb and berry flavor just tempered by the brown and white sugars. The filling is juicy but holds together enough to cut clean slices, and it doesn’t leak a swimming pool-sized puddle of juice on the plate after the pie is gone. (My personal pet peeve!) I have a hard time imagining how it can be improved, but if you’re the experimenting type, a little lemon or orange zest would probably blend nicely and add another dimension.
The color of the filling was so gorgeous, I knew it needed to shine through a lattice top instead of remaining covered by a full top crust. If you’re a lattice crust newbie, never fear! That is exactly why animated gifs were invented. Weaving a pie crust together is really difficult to explain with words, but very easy (and mesmerizing) to demonstrate with pictures. So here’s all you need to know—now lattice go forth and make pretty pies.
(…yes, I’m groaning and throwing things at myself too.)
After hearing the indecent noises Jason made while eating half (HALF!) of this pie over the course of a few days, I think I’m going to end up making this a few more times over the next few months, and maybe for his birthday as well. We enjoyed ours with embarrassing amounts of honey whipped cream, but ice cream is also a wonderful accompaniment.
And if you love the combination of strawberries and rhubarb (and how could you not?!) don’t miss this dessert, Strawberry Rhubarb Pavlova:
⇒ Click Here for the Recipe - Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
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