Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a blast from my past.  It is a beautiful mix of strawberries and rhubarb with a little bit of sugar, honey and lemon.  The lattice crust is a must, to let all the ooey, gooey jam bubble up and seep out to the top. 

While shopping in Sprouts last week, I saw this huge display of beautiful pink rhubarb.  I could not resist!  Making a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie was now on the menu. 

 This pie is a tribute to my mother and grandmother who taught me to love rhubarb.  It grew wild in our yard and we would pick it, chop it up and then boil it on the stove with a little sugar.  It was always my favorite side dish with any summer meal.

How To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1.  Make pie dough.  Remember to make this ahead.  Pie dough placed in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours is so easy to roll out and place in a pie dish.

2.  Grate the butter and place it in a bowl with the shortening, flour and salt.  Use your hands to mix everything together and to break up the shortening. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of shortening.  Fill a two cup glass measuring cup with 1 1/2 cups of water.  Put a big spoonful of shortening in the water.  Push down on the shortening.  When the water raises to 2 cups, you have put 1/2 cup of shortening in. 

There is nothing like a great fruit pie. 

3.  Add the ice cold water to the flour, salt,  shortening and butter mixture.  Place several ice cubes in a glass cup and add water.  Let it sit for a minute or two.  This is the ice cold water you want to use, not the water from the tap.

Use a spoon to stir everything together.  When the dough starts to come together, get in there with your hands.  Push all the dough together until it sticks together like a large ball.  Once it all comes together, divide the dough into two balls.  Smash these into a discs about 5 inches across and 3/4 of an inch high.  Put these in separate plastic bags and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Use your hands to really bring the pie dough together.

All my life my mom told me not to overwork the dough.  I did not know what this meant. I was afraid to get in there and really work the dough when mixing it together.  My mom was talking about the rolling out process.  You don’t want to roll out the dough, then pull it all together and roll it out again.  This is why chilling the dough is so important.

4.  Cut the rhubarb into small pieces.  Rhubarb comes in long stalks like celery.  Always cut the ends off on both sides.  The slice down the length of the stalk and cut each of these lengths again making four long pieces.   Cut across these stalks to make small pieces.  Measure these small pieces to create the three cups of rhubarb.

Cut the rhubarb and strawberries into small pieces.

5. Cut strawberries into small pieces.  I found a pint of strawberries was almost exactly 2 1/2 cups.  Cut the tops off each strawberry and then cut in half.  Lay the flat side down on the cutting board.  Cut lengthwise and then across those cuts to make small squares of strawberries.

6.  Roll out the pie dough to make the bottom crust.  Fit into a pie plate and crimp the edges if you are making a lattice crust.  If you are making a regular crust, do not crimp the edges.

7.  Place the strawberries and rhubarb in a bowl.  Add the sugar, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice and dry tapioca pudding.  Mix gently with a spoon.  Pour this into the prepared pie crust. Cut the butter into small squares and dot the top of the filling.  Set aside.

The honey is the secret ingredient for any fruit pie.  It helps hold everything together and makes firm pie pieces instead of runny ones.

8.  Roll out the second dough.  Place this on top of the fruit.  Make three or four slits in the top and then cut the excess off the outside.  Smash the top and bottom crusts together and then roll underneath and crimp the edge. To crimp the doughs together, place two fingers on the dough and use your thumb to bring the dough up from the bottom while the top two fingers on top push down. 

The Lattice Pie Top Makes This Pie So Pretty.

For the lattice top crust, roll out the top crust and cut 1/2 inch strips through the dough.  Place five to six strips over the pie in one direction.  Pick up one piece and lay it over the strips of pie dough going the opposite way.  Follow the video below to see how to weave the strips.

Fold the ends of each piece under on the edges and smash into the bottom crust.

9.  Mix the egg and water together with a wire whisk or fork.  Brush on top of the strips of pie dough.  Then sprinkle with sugar.  

10.  Bake for 25 minutes at 425°.  Then turn the oven down to 375° and cook for another 30 minutes.  If the pie is browning too fast, simply place a piece of tin foil that covers the entire pie.  You do not need to wrap it around the crust.  I like to take this off during the last five minutes of baking.

*Here is a secret for serving solid, not runny, fruit pie slices.

Cool the pie completely and then refrigerate overnight.  Bring the pie out and let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours before cutting.

Let me know on Instagram or Facebook if you make this.  Post a picture and tag me @dinasdiner.

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