Summer is rounding the corner toward the approaching autumn, and I want to make sure you squeeze every drop of goodness out of what this season has to offer. May I make a suggestion? Please make this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
Let’s pause for a moment and share some honest pie talk.
Pie can be difficult. It can be an involved process, and out of all the baked goods, I find it to be the trickiest to perfect. The dough, the filling, the assembly. I hear you. Pie is daunting and takes a lot of practice. Would you believe me if I told you this pie was different?
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is one of “those” pies, requiring homemade crust, perfectly ripe fruit, or twenty years in your grandmother’s kitchen.
This pie shimmies to the top of my favorites list because it doesn’t ask you to make homemade crust in order for it to be delicious. If you’re not in the mood for homemade crust, grab a Pillsbury pie crust (skip the store brands), and don’t look back. Homemade pie dough is beautiful, but sometimes we can manage without.
This pie performs wonderfully with frozen fruit, just make sure you thaw it first. Frozen sliced rhubarb, which is available at some grocery stores, gives you the ability to make this pie in the hight of summer, or consider it a year-round option.
As for assembly, crust is topped with filling, which is topped with a crumbly mixture of oats and butter and brown sugar. The entire things only gets better and more beautiful as it bakes, and there is a certain unkempt quality about it that is rustic and charming, requiring no fussing from you other than waiting for it to cool a bit before you dive in.
Do you have plans this week? You do now! Please bake this beautiful summer pie, share it with a friend, and come tell me about it.
I love pie talk.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Crumb Topping
Ingredients
for the filling…
- 1 pound rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch chunks (frozen is fine, but thaw first)
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
for the topping…
- 1 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, unsalted
- for assembly…
- 1 pie dough disk
Instructions
- Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerated up to overnight. The sugar will begin to draw out the juice from the fruit.
- To make the crumb topping, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the melted butter and combine until the mixture takes on the texture of wet sand. Set aside until ready to bake the pie. The topping can be made ahead and stored in the fridge.
- Once the fruit mixture has released its juices, transfer the fruit and the juice to a medium saucepan. Slowly and gently bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently with a spatula to avoid burning the sugar. You are looking for just one or two bubbles to break the surface. Once you see a bubble, remove the mixture from the heat. Cool the fruit mixture completely before pouring it into the pie crust.
- When ready to bake the pie, preheat the oven to 350. Roll out the pie dough and transfer it to a 9- inch pie plate. Crimp and finish the edge in whatever fashion you prefer. Pour the filling into the pie crust and top with the crumb topping.
- Bake the pie until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, about 45-60 minutes. Allow the pie to cool before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
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