Hello, Maggie

New header! This time it's Maggie, a former Burgher who now lives in Florida. You can read more about her over yonder.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

We've already established that I have A Thing for rhubarb, especially when it's paired with strawberries. What we haven't established is that I also have a thing for pie. Mostly my thing is that I don't get to eat it nearly often enough. In an effort to fix that, this happened.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Mmhmm.

So, here's the thing. I am absolutely capable of making pie crust. I just don't do it. It happens to be one of those things that I think is worth the effort, but then it comes time to put forth that effort and I turn all MEH and end up using Pillsbury premade crusts anyway. Go ahead and heckle me. I can take it.

I make up for "cheating" on the crust by making it pretty. That counts for something, right?

Of course it does.

Strawberry Rhubarb pie is super easy to throw together (especially when you cheat on the crust!), but it does take some time to bake. Don't be like me and start it at 11:00 at night. If you do, you won't be able to eat a piece before you go to bed. THAT would be a travesty.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2 Premade pie crusts (I prefer Pillsbury refrigerated crusts)

1-16oz package of strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and cut in half
1 lb rhubarb, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place your first crust in a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges, but make sure to leave a 3/4 inch overhang.

3. In a large bowl, combine your strawberries, rhubarb, brown sugar, white sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Stir everything up until the fruit is covered with the sugars and such.

4. Dump your fruit mixture into your pie crust. Use a spoon to press everything down and smooth it out.

5. Place your top crust on top of the pie. One of these days I'll post how to do the lattice thing (it's easy, but requires photos to explain which I didn't take. See also: I baked pie at 11:00 at night. Shortcuts were taken. Heh.)

6. Trim the top crust to the edge of the pie pan. Now, remember that 3/4 inch overhang you left on the bottom crust? Yes? Good because you want to wrap it up over the top of the top crust. This will keep the pie filling from oozing out and spilling all over the inside of your oven. (Be ye warned, if you forget to wrap that bottom crust up over the top one? The mess is amazing. Not in a good way, either.) Use a fork to crimp the edge of the pie all the way around. Stab a 1-inch hole in the middle so that the pie filling can vent while baking.

7. Mix the egg yolk and teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Brush the egg yolk over the top of the pie. It will create a nice little golden brown glaze when it bakes.

8. Place the pie on a cookie sheet (in case of oozing) and put it in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

9. Once 20 minutes is up, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake the pie for another 1 hour and 25 minutes.

10. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and let it hang out for at least 30 minutes before cutting. It's even better if you can manage to let it completely cool.

11. Eat a very small slice. Decide it needs whipped cream and eat another very small slice, but this time with whip cream on top. Decide maybe ice cream would be good on it and go for a small very third slice. Give up and declare it delicious no matter what you do.

Say Hello To Brady

That's Brady hanging out in the header right now. His mom Emilie writes over here.

Keep sending those photos!