Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Filling:

• • 1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered

  • 1 pound rhubarb, diced

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves

  • 1/4 cup instant tapioca

  • 1 tablespoon flour

Crust:

• • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus a little extra to sprinkle on top

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup very cold unsalted butter, diced

  • 4-6 tablespoons ice water

  • 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water

Make the Filling:

In a large bowl, toss the strawberries and rhubarb with the sugars, spices, and tapioca until evenly coated. Cover and set in the refrigerator.

Make the Dough:

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Scatter the cold butter over the flour mixture and cut in with a pastry cutter until pea-sized pieces of butter remain. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture, a little at a time, tossing with a fork to distribute; the dough will still seem fairly dry and crumbly.

Dump the dough onto a clean surface and work with your hands until it comes together into a ball. Divide into two equal portions.

On a floured surface, roll out one portion to between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick. Fit the dough into a deep-dish pie pan, letting the excess hang over the edge; evenly trim the edges. Cover and refrigerate while you roll out the other half of the dough.

For the pie dough roses, roll out the remaining dough to 1/8 inch thick. Use a small circle cutter (about 1 - 1 1/2 inches) to cut lots and lots of circles, gathering up all the scraps and rolling and cutting those, too. Lay four circles in a row, overlapping slightly, then roll up. Cut the roll in half, then fan out the uncut edges to look like a rose. Use a little water, if needed, to moisten the dough enough for the petals to stick together. (See a video tutorial here by The Kitchen McCabe.) Place the roses on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a leaf cutter to cut enough leaves for the edge of the pie. If the dough is rolled thinly, you'll have enough dough to cut enough roses and leaves to cover the pie. Freeze the roses and leaves for two hours.

Assemble and Bake the Pie:

Preheat the oven to 425. Place the pie pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with 1 tablespoon flour, and spoon the filling into the crust.

Arrange the frozen roses and leaves over the filling.

Whisk together the egg and water and lightly brush over the roses and leaves. Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350. Cover the pie with foil and bake for another 45-60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and thick. Cool pie completely (uncovered) on a wire rack (overnight cooling is preferable to let the juices set) before cutting.

Yields 8-10 servings

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen