Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie

Perfect pie... Sweet strawberries and tangy rhubarb covered with a yummy, crunchy crumb topping! Makes the best pie! My pie recipe uses less sugar than most rhubarb recipes too. Healthier dessert... Win – win... Yummy pie and less calories!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie

Yield: One 10-inch pie = 8 – 10 slices

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 premade 10-inch deep dish piecrust or

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold shortening, preferably butter flavored, cubed
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 – 4 tablespoons, ice cold water
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for crust bottom

Fruit Filling:

1 egg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
1-pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
Zest of one orange

Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Dash cinnamon and nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

Equipment:

Cutting board
Chef knife
Paring knife
Food processer (or Medium mixing bowl & Pastry blender)
Liquid and dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Large mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
Rolling pin
Waxed paper
10-inch pie plate
Half sheet pan
Parchment paper
Ingredient pic of crust, filling & topping ingredients

Rhubarb screams spring! Every May I go looking for rhubarb where ever I can get it! This year I actually was given a couple plants, so next year I will be set with my own. Stewed rhubarb was a family favorite growing up. Easy to do make too...rhubarb, sugar and a stove top is all you need. Great on ice cream too. My favorite way to eat rhubarb is pie! Sometimes plain and often with strawberries, especially in May. May is National Strawberry Month and there are always plenty of inexpensive berries at the market. This recipe is made in three steps... Crust, filling and topping. Grab your food processor and let’s start the crust.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

This crust recipe has been a while in the making! I once was given an apple pie from Milwaukee that was made in a paper bag by a student. The crust was amazing! I tried many times to re-create it with many failures... finally this recipe was born and it is sooo good! I’m sure you will agree... Of course, you can use a premade crust if you wish not to mess with making one... but you will regret it!!

To start, cube the butter and shortening into small chunks. I buy my butter-flavored shortening in stick forms because it is smaller and easier to store. I only use it for pie crusts, so it needs to last a long time stored in the refrigerator. My recipe uses both shortening and butter. I love the texture and flavor using both...up to you! Shortening melts differently than butter and together make a flakier crust. Place all the crust ingredients into the bowl of a food processor with fat on top. If you don’t own a large food processor, use a large bowl and a pastry blender to cut the fat into the dry ingredients. (Find steps for this process at my Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Crust for the step by step pictures) Pulse the processor about 8 - 10 times until a fine crumb is created, as shown above. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of ice water on top of crumbs and pulse 4 – 5 times. Dough will look crumbly, but it will be able to be squeezed into a ball and not fall apart easily. (NOT WET AND MOIST) If still crumbly add more water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing only 4-5 times, testing between each addition. Don’t be tempted to over mix... overmixing over-activates the gluten in flour... creating a tough, rubbery crust! You want your crust tender and flaky!!

After crust dough is ready, form into a large compact ball. Pie crust dough is not kneaded and will be flakier the less it is mixed. Tear off two 15-inch pieces of waxed paper. Lay one flat and place ball on top. Flatten ball into a 6-inch disk and cover with second piece of waxed paper. Wrap carefully around disk and place dough in the refrigerator until filling is ready.

While the crust dough is chilling, it’s time to prep the fruit. Rinse the strawberries and rhubarb off to remove dirt and allow to drain. Strawberries need to be capped before chopping. Many of you usually slice off the tops, but doing that wastes precious fruit. Using a paring knife, hold the berry and insert the knife point next to the green leaves. Make a small circle around the leaves and the cap will pop off! Pretty easy! Then cut each strawberry into 3 – 4 slices lengthwise and then cut once in half horizontally. This will create smaller pieces that will distribute well into the rhubarb. To prep the rhubarb, cut along each clean stalk, making ~ 1-inch pieces, as shown. Grate orange rind of one orange into fine strips. Chop with chef knife a few times to make into uniform, 1⁄4-inch pieces.

Strawberries and rhubarb will create a lot of juice while cooking, so thickening is important. Common thickeners used are flour, cornstarch and eggs. I find cornstarch creates a prettier pie as it thickens clear, unlike the cloudy results from flour. Combine the egg, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Add in fruit and blend until evenly coated with sugar mixture. Set aside for 15 minutes while you make topping and pie crust.

Topping is super easy! Place all ingredients into the food processor. Pulse ~ 10 times or until dry and crumbly. Don’t pulse until gooey! Set aside. (If processor unavailable... Use pastry blender to cut mixture together)

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a round circle between the waxed paper. No extra flour is needed and so easy to transfer the crust into the pan. Crust circle needs to be slightly larger, ~ 1-inch larger than the pan. Set the pan on top of the dough to size. Remove the top waxed paper and flip dough onto pan, centering it on top. Carefully press the dough 1/2 way into the pan. Carefully remove top sheet of paper as you ease the crust into the bottom of the pie pan, without tearing dough. If imperfect, no worries... dough can be ripped and attached where needed to fit pan. Fold edges and press to create an edge ~1/2 above the pan.

Almost done!! Time to make your pie! To create a fluted edge, press dough between two fingers to make a scalloped shape. Place dots of butter on bottom of crust before adding filling. Pour fruit filling into pie shell, spreading to evenly coat crust. Pour crumb topping on top of filling and carefully level with fingers to coat filling, pushing crumb to edges. Place pie onto a half sheet pan to catch potential drips. Cover pan with parchment paper to ease cleanup. Place on rack in lower third of oven, preheated 425 F oven for 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 F and bake for another 15 minutes or golden brown and filling is bubbly. Allow your pie to cool for at least 30 minutes to allow fruit to set before slicing.

Your pie is finished and gorgeous! Even if it doesn’t look perfect, it will taste amazing!! Pie making takes practice... another excuse to make another pie! This crust can be used for apple, berries, custard or many other baked pie recipes! Dish your Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie onto a plate and garnish with ice cream or whipped cream... Eat it slightly warm or room temperature... Enjoy!!