Pie and Pastry Bible (30 page)

The egg glaze is easiest to apply if frozen and defrosted before using, as it thickens.

UNDERSTANDING

Adding butter directly to the cherries would take the edge off their flavor. Using an all-butter pastry crust, however, infuses the cherries with a rich buttery flavor. For the brightest color, it is best not to cook a cherry filling before baking the pie.

Egg glazing delivers a gorgeous lacquered finish but also toughens the crust slightly. This toughening effect is much less noticeable on lattice strips or pastry cutouts than on a solid upper crust.

I’ve made the 1-hour relaxing period for the finished unbaked pie optional because with a lattice crust, shrinking is not as noticeable.

Almond extract combines almost magically with the cherries, yielding a more intense cherry flavor.

PURE RHUBARB LATTICE PIE

O
ne of my earliest childhood memories is the sharp, aromatic smell of rhubarb my grandmother used to cut on the back porch of our house. When properly sweetened, these lively reddish green stalks, which are actually in the vegetable family, make a tasty dessert. This recipe displays rhubarb in its purest form.

Rhubarb also makes a good companion for a custard filling (see variations below). The most popular rhubarb pie filling, however, is strawberry rhubarb, (see Fresh Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart, page 256).

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 425°F. • BAKING TIME: 30 TO 40 MINUTES SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust for a 9-inch lattice pie (page 30)		14.3 ounces	406 grams
rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces	4 cups	1 pound	454 grams
sugar	cup	4.6 ounces	132 grams
cornstarch	4 teaspoons	approx. 0.5 ounce	12.5 grams
finely grated lemon zest	1 teaspoon	•	2 grams
salt	pinch	•	•
Optional Glaze 1 large egg yolk	1 tablespoon	•	•
heavy cream	1 teaspoon	•	•

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan

Make the dough (page 30).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.

Using a pastry cloth and sleeve rubbed with flour or two sheets of plastic wrap lightly sprinkled with flour, roll the dough
inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 13-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle. Transfer the dough to the pie pan. It should extend about ¾ inch past the side of the pie plate. Fold this dough under so that it is flush with the outer edge of the pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.

In a medium bowl, combine the rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and salt and toss to coat the rhubarb evenly. Allow it to macerate for about 10 minutes or until the sugar is moistened fully. Scrape the mixture into the pie crust.

Roll the smaller piece of dough into an oval 10½ inches by 8 inches wide (by about 1/16 inch thick). Using a ruler and pastry jagger, cut ten ¾-inch strips.

To create a woven lattice decoration (see page 16), arrange half the strips evenly over the cherries. Gently curve back every other strip a little past the center and place another strip perpendicular on top across the center. Uncurve the strips so that they lie flat on top of the perpendicular strip. Working in the same direction, curve back the strips that were not curved back the first time. Lay a second perpendicular strip on top and uncurve the strips. Continue in this manner with a third perpendicular strip, curving back the strips that were curved back the first time. Apply the remaining 2 strips to the other side of the pie, starting toward the center and working toward the edge. Remember always to alternate the strips that are curved back so that the strips weave in and out.

Use sharp scissors to trim the strips to ½-inch overhang. Moisten the dough under each strip with egg white or water and tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border, pressing down to make it adhere.

For the optional glaze, lightly beat the egg yolk and cream together. Brush the lattice and border with the egg glaze and, if time allows, refrigerate the pie for 1 hour, covered loosely with plastic wrap, to keep the crust from shrinking when it bakes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.

Set the pie directly on the baking stone and bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is
thickly
bubbling all over. After the first 15 minutes of baking, protect the edges with a foil ring (see page 19) to prevent overbrowning.

Cool the pie on a rack for at least 1 hour before serving.

VARIATIONS

LIGHT CUSTARD RHUBARB PIE
To my taste, adding two eggs to the filling in place of the usual cornstarch thickener adds a more interesting dimension. The eggs mingle with the rhubarb’s juices to form just enough silken gold custard between the pieces of rhubarb to bind them together and to gentle without taming the rhubarb’s tangy bite.

Replace the cornstarch with 2 large eggs (3 fluid ounces/3.5 ounces/100 grams), lightly beaten. In a medium bowl, combine the rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest, and salt and toss to coat the rhubarb evenly. Allow it to macerate for about 10 minutes or until the sugar is moistened fully. Scrape the mixture into the pie crust and pour the eggs over it.

Set the pie on the stone and bake at 425°F. for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400°F. and continue baking for 30 minutes or until the filling is bubbling lightly and set. After the first 15 minutes of baking, protect the edges with a foil ring to prevent overbrowning.

CUSTARD PIE WITH RHUBARB
Omit the lattice and stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1 cup of cream, and 2 eggs. Proceed as above for Light Custard Rhubarb Pie but bake for about 10 minutes longer or until the edges of the filling bubble, the surface is puffed and golden, with little bits of the red rhubarb peeking through, and the center is set. (A knife inserted near the center should come out clean.)

STORE

Room temperature, up to 2 days. (The Custard Pie with Rhubarb can be held at room temperature for 3 hours but then must be refrigerated, loosely covered.)

NOTE

The Pure Rhubarb Pie and the Light Custard variation can both be frozen before baking and baked for an extra 20 minutes at 400°F.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

When buying rhubarb, select bright, firm stalks. Discard the leaves, which contain poisonous oxalic acid. Strawberry rhubarb has a beautiful deep rose and green color and a less astringent flavor. Store rhubarb refrigerated in an open plastic bag for up to a week.

Any leftover rhubarb can be cut and frozen for several months. Freeze the pieces on a cookie sheet for about 2 hours or until frozen solid. Then transfer them to a freezer-weight storage bag or canning jar.

CHERRY RHUBARB LATTICE PIE

T
he classic combination of strawberry and rhubarb for a pie probably came into being because they share the same season and the sweetness of strawberries offsets the tartness of rhubarb. Since rhubarb is still in season in July, when cherries are in season, I have discovered that with a judicious amount of sugar and extra liquid to give them a chance to blend, the intermingling of tart rhubarb with sour cherries is more exciting still.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 425°F. • BAKING TIME: 30 TO 40 MINUTES SERVES: 6 TO 8
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust for a 9-inch lattice pie (page 30)		14.3 ounces	406 grams
sugar	cup	4.6 ounces	132 grams
cornstarch	2 tablespoons	0.66 ounce	19 grams
salt	a pinch	•	•
water	¼ liquid cup	2 ounces	59 grams
10 ounces fresh sour cherries	1½ cups (pitted and juices reserved)	8 ounces 227 grams (pitted)
rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces	2 cups	8 ounces	227 grams
Optional Glaze 1 large egg yolk	1 tablespoon	•	•
heavy cream	1 teaspoon	•	•