Strawberry Pie for Dad

Most individuals look forward to a birthday cake my daddy was never in that category. He always preferred a piece of pie rather than cake. With his birthday falling with warm weather but not summer yet it was a great time with both rhubarb and strawberries in season. So many times my mother would make him a rhubarb strawberry pie. So today, have a piece on me.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Barely adapted from Bon Appetit April 1997, via SmittenKitchen.com

For crust

3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
7 tablespoons (about) ice water (I started with 6 tablespoons, and added a bit more when I rolled out the dough)

For filling 
3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
1 16-ounce container strawberries, hulled, halved (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Make crust:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. 

Using on/off turns, cut in shortening and butter until coarse meal forms. 

Use the on and off button like in  a pulse mode. The dough should end up looking somewhat like this

Blend in enough ice water 2 tablespoons at a time to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; cut in half. The dough should be a bit crumbly

Flatten each half into disk.  This will be for the top an bottom crust. Wrap separately in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

Make filling: (The easier part)

Start with the rhubarb. Chop this up in pieces

prepare the strawberries

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

When dough is good and chill it is time to work with it. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. If you start having problems with the dough wet your fingers to seal the dough.

Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. 

By now 

Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang. Don't worry it may not be perfect but it can easily be fixed. With a bit of water and sealing the dough.

By now your fruit filling should look delicious and gooey an sweet ready to go in the crust

Its time to put the fruit filling in the crust 

Now its time to work with the second half of the dough. Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Cut into fourteen 1/2-inch-wide strips.  Arrange 7 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Form lattice by placing remaining dough strips in opposite direction atop filling. Trim ends of dough strips even with overhang of bottom crust. Fold strip ends and overhang under, pressing to seal. Crimp edges decoratively. 

 We want a nice golden crust, so whisk an egg yolk with a bit of water.

 Transfer pie to baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.