Rhubarb Pie with Strawberries and Homemade Whipping Cream

When I was growing up my mother and grandmother would make rhubarb pie. I always found it to be really sour and I never liked it. Then one day, I had a rhubarb tart that had either cherries, rasberries or strawberries mixed in it, which made it sweeter, and I loved it. This is my version of it using strawberries.

Here in California, rhubarb is seasonal and difficult to find even in the frozen section of the grocery store. So if you can find rhubarb at all, give this a try.

This is very easy and simple, and great with whipped cream and a side of ice cream.

Ingredients

2 cups (3-4 stalks, diced) rhubarb

2 cups (16 ounces, diced) strawberries

1-2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want it, I use 2 cups)

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. melted butter (optional)

2 9-inch pie dough disks (homemade or store bought)

Directions

1. Fit one pie disk into a 9 inches pie pan.

2. Toss the diced rhubarb and strawberries in the sugar, flour and butter. Place in a colander over a large bowl and let sit for at least 15-20 minutes and up to an hour*. After the allotted time, spread the fruit into dough lined disk and cover with second dough disk. Saved collected juices.

3. Crimp the edges of the two pie dough together. You can use a fork to crimp the edges together. Brush the top with the accumulated juices and sprinkle with sugar.

4. Cut slits into the top of dough. Around 4-8 of them.

5. Bake in a 450 degree f oven for 10 minutes.

6. Lower heat to 350 degree f and bake for 50 minutes.

7. Allow it to cool completely before serving or refrigerate.

8. Serve with homemade whipped cream

Whipped Cream:

2-4 cups of heavy whipping cream

2-4 tablespoons of sugar

Directions

Use either a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or an egg beater and a large bowl.

1. For every 1 cup of cream add 1 tablespoon of sugar (i.e.2 cups cream, 2 tbsp. sugar)

2. Whisk at medium to high speed until it begins to thicken

3. Continue whisking until cream is thick; it actually tastes better when it is a thick whipped cream and last longer in to fridge.

*NOTE: This allows the juices to drain out of the fruit. This is done because fruit tends to deflate while cooking because the moisture evaporates. If you have a dough top, this can leave an empty dome. If you toss in sugar and let sit the sugar will pull out the moisture and help concentrate the flavor and condense the fruit so the “dome” won’t happen. Plus you can get liquid pooled into bottom of the pie, if this isn’t done. The longer you let it drain the better.