Strawberry Rhubarb Custard Pie

By Naperville Magazine
April 2023 View more Recipe

By Kelli Ra Anderson

Pucker up, everyone, it’s rhubarb season. Rhubarb, one of the earliest harbingers of spring, is a versatile vegetable. Often mistaken as a fruit (absurdly delicious in desserts and sauces), its tart, ruby-red stalks bring a bright, tangy sparkle to both savory and sweet dishes.

Like spring, however, rhubarb’s visit is much too short. Briefly available in markets from April through June, only the stalks are edible and should be picked or purchased when they are bright red and firm. (When preparing, be sure to discard its green leaves, which are toxic.)

This strawberry rhubarb custard pie is an old-fashioned favorite, with similar versions dating back to New England colonists who brought their coveted rhubarb with them across the Atlantic. Easy and quick to prepare (especially if using a purchased pie crust), this recipe passes the test of time.

MAKES 8 to 10 servings

PIE DOUGH

1¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
8 tablespoons chilled butter
Ice water

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor (or bowl). Cut in the butter, pulsing 10 seconds to combine (or cutting in by hand).

3. Add ice water, roughly 1/4 to 1/3 cup, pulsing (or stirring) until dough gathers into a ball. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out dough on a floured surface and place into a 9-inch pie pan, fluting the edge.

5. Line the dough with parchment paper. Fill the pie pan with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edge is light brown.

6. Remove the parchment and weights; return to the oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bottom of the pie shell is medium brown. Then cool.

PIE FILLING

2 cups rhubarb, cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 cups strawberries, sliced
½ cup melted butter
¼ cup whipping cream (room temperature)
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
⅓ cup flour

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Place sliced rhubarb and strawberries in a bowl with ½ cup sugar. Set aside.

3. Mix melted butter, whipping cream, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth. Add remaining sugar and flour.

4. Strain the strawberries and rhubarb and stir into the custard.

5. Pour the custard mix into a cooled, prebaked pie shell and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the filling is light brown and the center jiggles slightly when moved.

7. Allow pie to cool before chilling in the refrigerator. Pie should be served cold. Whipped cream topping is optional.

PRO TIP: Crumple the parchment paper into a tight ball, then unwrap it to more easily conform it to the curves of the pie plate.

Photos courtesy of Kellira Media