Recipe: Rhuberry Pie

My mom is the best pie maker in the world.  And for the past few years I’ve been trying to make crust as good as hers.  Some times it works out better than others.  Yesterday was one of the better ones.  I made Rhuberry Pie, which I totally named myself. (Made up words are way better than lame names like “Five Fruit Pie”  See, that just sounds boring.) It’s an amazingly delicious combination of rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and green apples.  Who knew it would be so good.  I got this recipe from my mom.

But it is.  I think the best pie I’ve ever made, or tasted for that matter.  I picked a bit of rhubarb from my neighbors back garden on Saturday afternoon and got enough to make my pie and freeze bags for two more pies later this summer.  Because seriously, you can not buy rhubarb anywhere.  Lame.  Enough from me.  Here’s the recipe.  It may not look like much, but it changed my pie eating life.

Want to know a secret?  If you take a few minutes and chop your fruit up very small it makes for a better pie.  You can fit more fruit in the filling, which is always better, and you get small pieces of each kind in every bite.  And that makes each bite taste amazing.

Recipe for Rhuberry Pie

• 1 cup of chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1 cup chopped green apple (you don’t need to peel it)
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 3 TB packed cornstarch
• 2 TB quick cooking tapioca

Mix together all the ingredients and let them mingle together for at least 15 minutes.  You want the tapioca pearls to start to dissolve and the berries to get all juicy and delicious.  Make your crust while you let them settle together.  You’ll need a double crust either that you make yourself or purchased.  Whatever you prefer.

Dump your filling into the bottom crust and then cover it with the top.  I like lattice because it’s easy.

Crimp the edges and then brush the crust with milk and sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes, or until the juices in the center of the pie are bubbling. This is a juciy pie and unless you want to clean up sugary fruity juice from the bottom of your oven, I suggest putting the whole thing on a rimmed tray in the oven.

I got my edges a little browner than I would have liked, I should have covered them up with foil for the first half hour or so.  You should do that.

The pie will set up as it cools, and turns out to be one of the most flavorful not too sweet, not too tangy pies in the universe.  Yep, the universe.

Serve with ice cream and plan on seconds for everyone.  Pie is a great way to start out your Monday.  Or Wednesday, or you know, days in general.  (Here are some of my favorite pictures from making pies with Creamie at Thanksgiving.  Man, I love those pictures.)