I'm presenting this recipe with a caution-until at least June you'll need to increase the amount of sugar to compensate for the tartness of early strawberries. You may also need a bit of water sprinkled over them if they seem dry.
We call this "Strawberry and Pie Plant Pie", using the nickname for rhubarb so our rhubarb-hating son will eat it. He doesn't really hate rhubarb and will eat it happily, so long as we call it "pie plant." Kids.
As it has been a while since I've baked a pie, let's go ahead and review some pastry basics and my standard crust for fruit pies.
I was never a very skilled handler of pastry until I bought a flexible, plastic cutting board. I am now able to roll out pastry without any additional flour, invert it over a pie plate and gently peel away the plastic. No more trouble transferring crust to plate. This works particularly well if you're making a lattice crust as you just flip the darn thing over and have a perfect lattice ready to go. It also prevents "toughening" your crust with extra flour. I've found this works well for rolled cookies, crackers and anything else that usually calls for a floured surface. I knead bread on them as well. The extra bonus is it keeps your work surface clean-only a cutting board to wash. Easy.
With fruit pies, and even most cream pies I use a crust that does not contain sugar (tarts being an exception). This makes a sturdier crust that will withstand being over-stuffed with juicy filling. Using this recipe, I've never had a soggy bottom crust, or needed to brush it first with an egg white as I do with softer sugar/butter crusts. I use Crisco and having never baked with lard I cannot vouch for any differences. The result I get with the solid shortening is very flaky and light-we rarely have leftover pie to toss out. The crust holds up well-four days under refrigeration-easily. Butter crusts always start to taste rancid to me after a couple of days.
I do not make my pastry in a food processor. I make graham crackers in there and even popover batter, but not pie crusts. I use a pastry cutter and it really makes quick work of incorporating the shortening. You don't want to over-work the pastry and I'm inclined to leave it a bit crumbly than too fine. I don't know how you would get that with a food processor, even with short pulsing.
Before I make piecrust I set 1/3 cup of water (in a glass measuring cup) in the freezer while I get my ingredients out. This is adequate time for it to become cold enough.
Add the liquid slowly-you may not need all of it (and I mix in the egg and vinegar but even so, if the dough seems overly wet, just stop adding-the crust will work if short a teaspoon of egg).
I hope these few tips will be helpful.
You Will Need:
For The Crust: (makes a 2 crust pastry)
3 cups all purpose flour
1-teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups solid vegetable shortening (I used Crisco)
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Set the water in freezer to chill.
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until crumbs resemble a coarse meal. Remove water from freezer. Beat-in egg and add vinegar. Stir into dough until it just forms soft dough. Knead just until mixed and set aside to firm up a few minutes before rolling it out.
For The Pie:
2 cups cut-up rhubarb
3-4 cups fresh strawberries (halved if very large)
8 tablespoons flour
2 cups sugar (use less if later in season when berries are sweeter)
1-½ tablespoons butter
Cream for brushing top crust
Sugar for dusting top of pie
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line the bottom of the pie pan with one of the crusts. In a bowl combine the flour and sugar. Toss with the berries and rhubarb and pour into shell. Dot with the butter. Top with second crust and cut slits to vent. Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake ten minutes and reduce heat to 400 degrees F. Bake until well browned. If edges start to burn cover with a rim of foil. As a caution, I always bake pie such as this one with a baking sheet on the lower rack because I detest cleaning the oven. Do as you see fit.
We call this "Strawberry and Pie Plant Pie", using the nickname for rhubarb so our rhubarb-hating son will eat it. He doesn't really hate rhubarb and will eat it happily, so long as we call it "pie plant." Kids.
As it has been a while since I've baked a pie, let's go ahead and review some pastry basics and my standard crust for fruit pies.
I was never a very skilled handler of pastry until I bought a flexible, plastic cutting board. I am now able to roll out pastry without any additional flour, invert it over a pie plate and gently peel away the plastic. No more trouble transferring crust to plate. This works particularly well if you're making a lattice crust as you just flip the darn thing over and have a perfect lattice ready to go. It also prevents "toughening" your crust with extra flour. I've found this works well for rolled cookies, crackers and anything else that usually calls for a floured surface. I knead bread on them as well. The extra bonus is it keeps your work surface clean-only a cutting board to wash. Easy.
With fruit pies, and even most cream pies I use a crust that does not contain sugar (tarts being an exception). This makes a sturdier crust that will withstand being over-stuffed with juicy filling. Using this recipe, I've never had a soggy bottom crust, or needed to brush it first with an egg white as I do with softer sugar/butter crusts. I use Crisco and having never baked with lard I cannot vouch for any differences. The result I get with the solid shortening is very flaky and light-we rarely have leftover pie to toss out. The crust holds up well-four days under refrigeration-easily. Butter crusts always start to taste rancid to me after a couple of days.
I do not make my pastry in a food processor. I make graham crackers in there and even popover batter, but not pie crusts. I use a pastry cutter and it really makes quick work of incorporating the shortening. You don't want to over-work the pastry and I'm inclined to leave it a bit crumbly than too fine. I don't know how you would get that with a food processor, even with short pulsing.
Before I make piecrust I set 1/3 cup of water (in a glass measuring cup) in the freezer while I get my ingredients out. This is adequate time for it to become cold enough.
Add the liquid slowly-you may not need all of it (and I mix in the egg and vinegar but even so, if the dough seems overly wet, just stop adding-the crust will work if short a teaspoon of egg).
I hope these few tips will be helpful.
You Will Need:
For The Crust: (makes a 2 crust pastry)
3 cups all purpose flour
1-teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups solid vegetable shortening (I used Crisco)
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Set the water in freezer to chill.
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until crumbs resemble a coarse meal. Remove water from freezer. Beat-in egg and add vinegar. Stir into dough until it just forms soft dough. Knead just until mixed and set aside to firm up a few minutes before rolling it out.
For The Pie:
2 cups cut-up rhubarb
3-4 cups fresh strawberries (halved if very large)
8 tablespoons flour
2 cups sugar (use less if later in season when berries are sweeter)
1-½ tablespoons butter
Cream for brushing top crust
Sugar for dusting top of pie
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line the bottom of the pie pan with one of the crusts. In a bowl combine the flour and sugar. Toss with the berries and rhubarb and pour into shell. Dot with the butter. Top with second crust and cut slits to vent. Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake ten minutes and reduce heat to 400 degrees F. Bake until well browned. If edges start to burn cover with a rim of foil. As a caution, I always bake pie such as this one with a baking sheet on the lower rack because I detest cleaning the oven. Do as you see fit.
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