Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie #recipe by @LeslieBudewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Pie, O pie, we love pie! It’s as near as I know to a universal cry when dessert is presented. And it’s the perfect combination of tastes for late spring-early summer, the tart rhubarb balancing the sweet berries. This is actually a great recipe for slightly tired berries, those that—if you aren’t lucky enough to grow your own—have sat in the fridge a day or two past their prime. But hey, perfect berries are, well, perfectly fine, too!.

I’m also a big fan of rhubarb-custard pie, one of my late mother’s signature pies. It made a brief appearance in Treble at the Jam Fest, the fourth Food Lovers’ Village mystery, and the incomparable Kim Davis illustrated it in on her blog, Cinnamon & Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder.

I’m a fan of homemade pie crust; here’s my favorite for a fruit pie, from Williams Sonoma. You can certainly use a pre-made crust if you prefer. Either way, I’ve found rolling the crust much easier since I got a King Arthur silicon rolling sheet; it’s even got circle sizes printed on it, and measurements ruled along the edges. A little flour on the rolling pin and nothing sticks! I even rolled the top crust up in the silicon sheet to chill it, and it worked perfectly. This pie is often made with a lattice crust; I rarely allow myself enough time for cutting and weaving the strips, so I just cut out some stars and plopped them on the top crust for cuteness. (Admittedly, my pie leaked a bit, not so cute, but that didn’t affect yumminess one bit!)

You will have scraps; roll them out, cut in squares or shapes, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake on a silicon or parchment lined baking sheet – yummy treats!

If you want to gild the lily, serve the pie with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

By the way, Mr. Right wants me to assure you that pie and coffee make an excellent breakfast!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2 rolled-out rounds basic pie dough
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. cornstarch
2 Tbs. quick-cooking tapioca
Pinch of salt
3 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthwise
3 cups rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, at room temperature, for wash
sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom crust, patting it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Use a knife or kitchen scissors to trim the edge of the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Set scraps aside. Use a fork to poke holes in several places on the bottom of the crust.

Refrigerate the pie shell and top for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375°F. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drips.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, and salt. Place the strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl, sprinkle with the sugar mixture, and toss to distribute evenly. Transfer the fruit mixture to the dough-lined pan. Dot with the butter.

Lay top crust flat on your rolling sheet and cut out any shapes, or cut the strips for the lattice. Make the egg wash by beating one egg with a tablespoon of water, using a fork. Brush the underside of the top crust and any shapes you’re using, and top the pie, pinching the edges together and fluting them with your thumb and fingers. If you’re using a lattice, brush the undersides of the strips, then weave the lattice on top of the pie. Wash top with remaining egg. Sprinkle with additional white sugar if you’d like.

Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is thick and bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely to set. Serve at room temperature or re warm in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes just before serving.

Serves 8.













From the cover of THE SOLACE OF BAY LEAVES, Spice Shop Mystery #5 (Seventh St. Books), coming July 21, 2020: 

Pepper Reece never expected to find solace in bay leaves. 

But when her life fell apart at forty and she bought the venerable-but-rundown Spice Shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, her days took a tasty turn. Now she’s savoring the prospect of a flavorful fall and a busy holiday cooking season, until danger bubbles to the surface ... 

Between managing her shop, worrying about her staff, and navigating a delicious new relationship, Pepper’s firing on all burners. But when her childhood friend Maddie is shot and gravely wounded, the incident is quickly tied to an unsolved murder that left another close friend a widow. 

Convinced that the secret to both crimes lies in the history of a once-beloved building, Pepper uses her local-girl contacts and her talent for asking questions to unearth startling links between the past and present—links that suggest her childhood friend may not have been the Golden Girl she appeared to be. Pepper is forced to face her own regrets and unsavory emotions, if she wants to save Maddie’s life—and her own. 

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries, and the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories.  Death al Dente, the first Food Lovers' Village Mystery, won Best First Novel in 2013, following her 2011 win in Best Nonfiction. Her first historical short story, "All God's Sparrows," won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story. A past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.

9 comments:

  1. Yummy! Local strawberries are ripe here and I have rhubarb in the yard.

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  2. I adore strawberry rhubarb pie! Especially with vanilla ice cream.

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    1. Right? We talk about gilding the lily like that's a bad thing!

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  3. I have been accused of going overboard with excitement when it's the season for strawberry rhubarb pie. This is definitely going in the "try it" pile. And I agree with Mr. Right - anything you have with coffee in the morning counts as breakfast.

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  4. Beautiful crust, Leslie! My mouth is so watering right about now...

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    1. Thanks! I kinda lost the fluting in the oven, but when the egg wash works so well, who cares?

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  5. I thought I posted yesterday, but I don't see anything.
    My mother thought left over apple pie was perfect for breakfast with a chunk of sharp cheddar cheese. And her coffee, of course.

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