Perfect rhubarb pie dishes up childhood memories </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 7:57 PM on Thursday, June 11, 2009

Perfect rhubarb pie dishes up childhood memories

Each year about this time I get a request from the Other Fisherman, a.k.a. Sky King, for something with rhubarb. His most recent request was for a basic rhubarb pie. That's it, nothing fancy or glowing red with strawberry jello added to it, just good old-fashioned rhubarb pie.

Back in Wisconsin, where we came from, if you didn't have rhubarb plants growing and didn't consume many desserts comprised of it by this time of year, you might be considered a foreigner or from Florida. Rhubarb is especially appreciated because it's one of the first edibles to appear in the spring garden. Rhubarb just knows it has to do its own thing early to satisfy us winter-weary gardeners and cooks.

My mom could make the perfect rhubarb pie. She made her pie crust from scratch, which I still do to this day, just the way she did it. She had this certain metal pie plate she baked all her pies in that was nice and big and had a zig-zag pattern on the rim. Last time I visited her, I brought that pie pan back with me.

And when I made Sky King his pie, I got out that pie pan and proceeded to make it just like she did, dotting the top of the fruit and sugar mixture with a little butter, brushing milk around the inside of the crust before I nested the top crust on it, cutting little vents in it, and then brushing more milk over the top crust and sprinkling it with lots of white sugar.

I refused to leave the oven's side for the entire 45 minutes it took to bake, as it had to be perfect. I watched it carefully and when the filling starting oozing pink and bubbly from the vents in the pie, I knew it was just about time to pronounce it a success. When that beautiful pie came out of the oven with a perfectly browned crust, thick sweet pink filling pooling around the vents and smelling of home, I was sure I'd nailed it. It smelled so good and reminded me of being back in Wisconsin at 1037 Pierce Ave., when I was about 8 years old without a care in the world. I also thought of my mom and thank her for being such a wonderful woman, mother and teacher of pie baking. The pie was delicious. The only thing missing was Mom to enjoy it with as she still lives in Wisconsin. I could have eaten the whole thing.

Mom's Perfect Rhubarb Pie

Makes 1 pie, serves 6-8
Preheat oven 375 degrees
Pie Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
7-8 tablespoons ice cold water

Pie Crust Directions: Stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut half of the shortening until pieces are pea-size. Cut in the remaining shortening.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, until all the dough is moistened. Divide in half. Form each half into a ball.
On lightly floured surface, flatten 1 dough ball. Roll from center to edges into 12-inch circle.
To transfer pastry, carefully fold dough into quarters. Gently set pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry.
Rhubarb Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6-7 cups fresh unsweetened rhubarb cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons butter cut in pieces
Milk for brushing on pastry
Sugar to sprinkle on pastry top
Rhubarb Filling Directions: In a large bowl stir together sugar, flour, and cinnamon; stir in rhubarb.
Transfer filling to pastry-lined pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate. Dot with butter randomly.
Roll remaining dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Brush milk over top edge of pastry in pie plate. Place remaining pastry on filling; trim 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Crimp edge as desired. Brush top with milk, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 45 minutes in 375 degree oven until filling oozes from vents and crust is golden brown.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and smile.

Until next time, have fun enjoying rhubarb recipes and our summer sunshine!