Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. If you follow along on Instagram then you know I’ve been working on perfecting this recipe for quite some time. Between uncooked crusts, too much liquid, and mastering the balance of the sour rhubarb, my strawberry rhubarb pie recipe might end up being the death of me. But, like all good things practice makes perfect.
The first few go arounds I kept getting what Mary Berry calls a soggy bottom, and it was coming out just too soupy. Truthfully, I don’t mind a bit of a soupy pie. A homemade fruit pie will always, taste amazing to me…soggy bottom and all. But uncooked crust and too sour rhubarb, that needed to change.
To avoid a soggy bottom of uncooked crust I pre-baked the pie crust bottom for about 20-30 minutes, using pie weights to prevent the crust from bubbling. These simple little weights have been around forever and really should be a kitchen staple for any baker.
Second, I added more corn starch than what the recipe called for; it’s used to absorb the juices. If you’ve ever made a strawberry rhubarb pie recipe, you’ll know that this is absolutely key. The final pie still had a just a tad too much juice to it, so next time I’ll probably add an additional tablespoon.
Third, I didn’t let the fruit macerate as long as I’ve done in the past. Before I would let the fruit mixture sit for at least an hour which results in a breakdown of sugars and creates just too much liquid. This go around it was a quick mix and then right into the pie.
Next, I figured out—by accident, really—how to make the perfect lattice pie crust pattern on top. In the past, I’ve always overcomplicated it; placing all of the vertical pieces at one time and then horizontal pieces to finish’ weaving them in and out to make a proper lattice. This time, I started with the center; always start with the center because it allows you to center the pie. Then I began switching from vertical to horizontal one-by-one, over and over. This simple positioning naturally creates the beautiful lattice as you go. Voila!
Lastly, I was really careful with the final steps. I used this piecrust shield and kept an eye on the oven until the pie was done just right. I applied an egg wash about 15 minutes before it was done and topped the pie with a dusting of baking sugar crystals.
While nowhere near perfect, my strawberry rhubarb pie was delicious. And really, that’s all that counts…perfect is overrated. Find my recipe below, and tell me if you’ll be making this strawberry rhubarb pie recipe anytime soon! Truly, MKR
Ingredients
- For filling:
- 6-8 fresh stalks of rhubarb, sliced
- 2 pints of fresh organic strawberries, halved and quartered
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon water
- baking sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place first crust in a greased pie dish, and for the bottom. Place parchment paper on in the pie dish (enough to cover the bottom of the crust allowing a little to come up the sides) and pour your pie weights in.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the crust is almost baked through. If your edges begin to brown cover with foil or pie crust shield. Remove from oven and set aside. You can bake this up to a few hours in advance or even the night before.
- While the crust is baking, in a large bowl mix together the rhubarb, strawberry, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Take your other crust and cut into pieces with a fluted pie cutter. Try to keep your strips/pieces as straight as possible.
- Once done fill your pie with the fruit mixture and begin weaving your lattice top. Place in the oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Cook until crust is completely golden and filling thickens, about an hour.
- **About 15 minutes before the pie is done wash with egg wash (egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of water beaten), then sprinkle with baking sugar.
