Rhubarb Custard Pie

Topping Off the Pie

I wanted to share a Rhubarb Pie recipe given to us by Laura Neary, my new mother-in-law. This recipe combines pie expertise from Laura, Patty Ebert (Laura's friend), and Julia Retherford (Kyle's great grandmom). It also has a dash of our beginner's luck and MacGyverie. By accident, Kyle and I undercooked the pie the first time we made it. Fortunately, the "undercooked" pie came out quite saucy and delicious once refrigerated. The pie crust was moist and the abundant sauce made a great dip for the pie crust. When we baked another Rhubarb Pie according to the original cooking time, it was still good, but drier. Go with either cooking times, depending on how you like your pie. I like mine sassy, I mean saucy. Also, Kyle and I haven't yet acquired all the nifty kitchen gadgets we hope to have one day, like a sifter and a rolling pin, but we think that our alternative options worked just as well. This Rhubarb Pie makes a wonderful summer dessert or picnic accompaniment. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. And, don't be afraid to make mistakes. You may just learn something new.

Rolling dough with a glass cup and wax paper prevents pastry from sticking

Hot Water Pastry  (Great Grandmom Retherford's recipe)
Makes pastry for one 8-inch double-crust pie.

Boiling water, 1/3 Cup  
Shortening, 2/3 cup  
Flour, 2 cups
Salt, 3/4 tsp  

1. Pour boiling water over shortening (in a mixing bowl), beat until creamy.  

2. Wait until diluted shortening is somewhat cooled and thickened.
3. Add flour sifted with salt to melted shortening.

4. With a fork, mix ingredients just until a soft dough is formed.

5. Wrap dough ball in waxed paper and chill thoroughly.

7. Take out the dough ball and wait about five minutes before rolling it into a big enough circle to line the pie pan.

Rhubarb Custard Pie (Patty Ebert's recipe)

Make Hot Water Pastry recipe (See above.)

Clean, skin, and dice 3 cups of rhubarb (into sugar cube sized pieces. Toss any stringy bits as you cut, as best you can.)  

Place cubed rhubarb in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, mix together:

Eggs, 2 large
Milk, 2 tbsp
Sugar, 1 1/2 cups  
Flour, 3 tblsp 
Salt, 1/4 tsp. 
Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. 

Combine mixture with cubed rhubarb and pour filling into a pastry-lined pie pan.         

Crumb Topping

Brown sugar, 1/2 cup  
Butter, 1/2 cup
Flour, 1 cup

1. Make a crumb topping by cutting the butter into the other ingredients. (Use a knife and fork to make the butter pieces as small as you can.  Don't melt the butter.)
2. Top off the pie with the the crumb topping.
3. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake an additional 45 minutes. (This last step is where Kyle and I mistakenly baked the pie for just the initial 15 minutes at 425 F. It came out great!)