Lou McLeod: Old Fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie Like Mom Used to Make

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie Like Mom Used to Make is republished from http://ift.tt/1nr27gs

Rhubarb custard pie is a beautiful way to mellow the tartness of rhubarb in a smooth, creamy filling. Back at the family catering business, we had a regular restaurant client called the Three Little Pigs. They used to order rhubarb pie every single week from the beginning to the end of the rhubarb season, so I’ve made a LOT of rhubarb pies over the years. The custard and rhubarb combination is still my favorite. (Rhubarb pie can also be crazy expensive to buy! Better to make your own!)

This rhubarb custard pie recipe is a little easier than many recipes because you don’t need to pre-bake the crust before filling. It only has four ingredients in the filling, so it’s super simple to make, too. I’ve included a lattice top, but if you’re in a hurry or not a crust person, you can make it a single crust pie, too. No worries! Just start with the basics and finish it the way you like. (Heck, you could even skip the crust and make rhubarb custard.)

I baked this one with Namaste gluten free flour blend and local lard, and it turned out quite well. Gluten free flour tends to be a little more crumbly, so the basket weave top may be tricky for the beginning baker, but it can be done. I prefer cane sugar over beet sugar for more even browning.

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe

Adapted from Great Pies You Can Bake

Makes 8 slices

Ingredients

Pastry for nine inch double crust (or single, if preferred)
1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (cane sugar preferred)
3 tablespoons flour, divided (may substitute gluten free flour blend)
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups diced fresh rhubarb

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Roll out half of the pastry dough. (Keep the dough for the top crust chilled.) Line a 9 inch pie pan with the bottom crust.

Combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix in eggs and rhubarb. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of flour into the bottom of the crust. Pour rhubarb filling into the bottom crust.

Roll out top crust (if desired). Cut vent holes or weave into lattice. Apply to top of pie. Crimp edges to seal. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the crust.

Rhubarb custard pie is a beautiful way to mellow the tartness of rhubarb in a smooth, creamy filling. Recipe features an easy to make 4 ingredient filling.

Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes to set the crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F and bake about 30 minutes more or until the custard is set. Cool before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Note: If you use cold rhubarb (out of the refrigerator), baking time at 350° F will roughly double.

You could use a purchased crust, but homemade is great if you have just a smidgen more time. My boys generally won’t eat pie away from home, because they just don’t like commercial crusts. The “secret” to a perfect pie crust is to keep your ingredients chilled and work the dough very gently. You want to retain small lumps of fat in the crust, as they will melt during cooking and create air pockets, giving you a lighter, flakier crust. This is the recipe my mother used for as long as I can remember. The vinegar makes it lighter. (I tried vodka like they recommend on some foodie sites. Vinegar is better.) The egg makes it a little more elastic and easier to form.

Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie 2016-05-25 12:19:27 This rhubarb custard pie is a beautiful way to mellow the tartness of rhubarb in a smooth, creamy filling. Write a review Save Recipe Print 2044 calories 365 g 372 g 56 g 28 g 13 g 885 g 763 g 250 g 0 g 40 g Nutrition Facts Serving Size 885g Amount Per Serving Calories 2044 Calories from Fat 503 % Daily Value * Total Fat 56g 86% Saturated Fat 13g 63% Trans Fat 0g Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Monounsaturated Fat 35g Cholesterol 372mg 124% Sodium 763mg 32% Total Carbohydrates 365g 122% Dietary Fiber 11g 43% Sugars 250g Protein 28g Vitamin A18%Vitamin C49% Calcium43%Iron43% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Does this look wrong? Ingredients

Pastry for nine inch double crust (or single, if preferred)
1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (cane sugar preferred)
3 tablespoons flour, divided (may substitute gluten free flour blend)
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups diced fresh rhubarb

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Roll out half of the pastry dough. (Keep the dough for the top crust chilled.) Line the pie plate with the bottom crust.
Combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix in eggs and rhubarb. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of flour into the bottom of the crust. Pour rhubarb filling into the bottom crust.
Roll out top crust (if desired). Cut vent holes or weave into lattice. Apply to top of pie. Crimp edges to seal. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the crust.
Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes to set the crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake about 30 minutes more or until the custard is set. Cool before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

Basic Pastry Crust
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 cup lard or palm shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
5 tbsp cold water
1 tablespoon vinegar
Directions
Cut together flour and lard with a pastry blender to form pea sized bits. Mix other ingredients in a separate bowl, then cut into flour mix with a fork. Divide into portions for 3 crusts. Flatten into disks. Chill. Roll out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper or on a pastry cloth. Makes 3 single pie crusts.

Adapted from Great Pies You Can Bake beta calories 2044 fat 56g protein 28g carbs 365g more Adapted from Great Pies You Can Bake Common Sense Homesteading http://ift.tt/1zQyHsW I buy non-hydrogenated local lard, which can be a little tough to find in some areas. You may have more luck at a butcher or ethnic market (many grocery store lards are hydrogenated). Sustainably raised palm shortening will give similar results. Many folks use vegetable shortening, but I don’t care for the long list of health risks on that one.

My mom always rolled out her pie pastry between two sheets of lightly floured waxed paper, and that’s what I do, too. It makes it easier to get a thinner crust and place it on the pie. You should always cut some slits in your top crust to allow steam to escape. When making a basket weave, I first cut the crust into strips. I then weave the strips on the wax paper, and press them lightly together where they touch. I then lift the wax paper and crust together and place the crust on the pie. This keeps the custard filling from getting all over the strips of dough, which is likely to happen if you weave the dough on the pie. If I get requests, I will make a YouTube video on this.

To keep crusts from getting too brown around the edges, I use a pie crust shield. To catch any wayward drips, I have a pie drip pan. (This pan works great for any smaller pan that you think may run over in the oven.)

Rhubarb custard pie is a beautiful way to mellow the tartness of rhubarb in a smooth, creamy filling. Recipe features an easy to make 4 ingredient filling.

Basic Pastry Crust

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 cup lard or palm shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
5 tbsp cold water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions

Cut together flour and lard with a pastry blender to form pea sized bits. Mix other ingredients in a separate bowl, then cut into flour mix with a fork. Divide into portions for 3 crusts. Flatten into disks. Chill. Roll out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper or on a pastry cloth. Makes 3 single pie crusts.

Rhubarb custard pie is a beautiful way to mellow the tartness of rhubarb in a smooth, creamy filling. Recipe features an easy to make 4 ingredient filling.