Strawberry Rhubarb Pie says spring is coming. It’s sweet and tart and wonderful all at once. My sister makes the best strawberry rhubarb pie with rhubarb fresh from her garden. This recipe is a take off on hers. Our local organic farm is harvesting rhubarb and plant city strawberries are in season and sweet as sugar.

TThis pie drip pan is the best gadget. It lets the bottom crust cook, yet it catches all the drips.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Pie dough for double crust, recipe follows
1 – 1.25 pounds of rhubarb, washed and dried (3 cups)
3 pints of strawberries, rinsed, dried and hulled (5 cups)
¼ cup flour
¾ cup demerrara sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg white
1 teaspoon half and half or cream
½ teaspoon white sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Use a glass or porcelain pie plate. The acidity in the fruit will react if you use an aluminum pan. Roll out the pie dough between two layers of plastic film lightly floured. Transfer into the pie plate and cut the edges to overlap by about an inch. Brush the bottom and sides of the pie dough with egg white and let it dry. It will keep it from getting soggy.

Cut the rhubarb into ½ inch pieces and the strawberries into large slices. Mix the flour, demerrara sugar and cinnamon, add it to the beaten eggs and mix with the fruit. Roll out the top crust and put over the pie. Tuck the top layer over the bottom and crimp the edges. Poke a hole in the center and cut six slits in the pie for the steam to escape. Brush the top with half and half or cream. Sprinkle the top lightly with sugar.

Put the pan on a pie drip pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes then lower the heat to 350. Bake for 45 minutes more or until done. The juices will be running over and the top will be lightly browned.

Pie Crust
1 ¾ cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup chilled butter, cut into ½ inch pieces
1/3 cup ice water

Mix the flour and salt. Add the butter and work in to the flour using a pastry blender. Look for a coarse pea texture. Add the ice water and form a ball. Let it rest refrigerated for an hour.