Can I assemble the pie a day ahead?

You can mix the dry sugar and cornstarch one day ahead, then refrigerate them airtight. Don't combine them with fruit until 10 minutes before assembly because the berries release too much juice overnight. You can also cut the lattice strips 24 hours ahead and keep them covered below 40°F.

Why is my filling watery after baking?

The center probably didn't bubble long enough or the pie was cut too soon. Keep it at 375°F until thick bubbles rise through three center gaps for 5 minutes. Then cool the pie for 4 hours, because the starch gel tightens as the filling drops toward room temperature.

Can I use frozen strawberries and rhubarb?

Use 3 cups frozen strawberries and 3 cups frozen rhubarb without thawing. Increase cornstarch from 1/4 cup to 5 tablespoons and add 10 to 15 minutes at 375°F. The fruit pieces will look softer, but the flavor stays bright when the center bubbles fully.

How should I double this recipe for a crowd?

Bake two separate 9-inch pies rather than one extra-deep pie. Double every ingredient exactly and place both pans on separate racks at 425°F for 20 minutes. Lower to 375°F, switch rack positions at minute 30 and expect 5 to 10 extra minutes.

What should I serve with Strawberry Rhubarb Pie?

Serve Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with 1/3 cup vanilla bean ice cream or 2 tablespoons lightly whipped cream per slice. For brunch, pair it with hot coffee and fresh berries. For a party, cut 10 smaller wedges after a 4-hour cooling period so the glossy filling stays inside each crust.

Can I freeze and reheat individual slices?

Freeze fully cooled slices uncovered for 1 hour, then wrap each one twice and store for 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes on a small baking tray. Let each slice stand 10 minutes before adding ice cream so the crust stays crisp.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with a Flaky Lattice Crust

Description

This easy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a quick holiday dessert with no fussy pastry work. The simple filling bakes into glossy ruby ribbons while the butter crust turns crisp and smells toasted. What makes this version different is the trick of starting at 425°F. A four-hour cooling period helps every slice hold cleanly. It’s one of the best dessert ideas for brunch, a potluck or a party. The bright fruit feels healthy and fresh, while the crust stays simple and buttery.

Ingredients

Scale

3 cups fresh strawberries
3 cups fresh rhubarb stalks
1 cup granulated cane sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 9-inch rounds refrigerated all-butter pie crust
1 tablespoon unsalted European-style butter
1 large large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1 quart vanilla bean ice cream
1 teaspoon powdered cane sugar

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Keep the strawberries and rhubarb near 40°F until cutting. Hull and quarter the strawberries. Then slice the rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces for 8 to 10 minutes. Use steady downward cuts and rotate thick stalks between slices. Keep both fruits in separate uneven piles so their measured volumes stay reliably accurate. Next, check the cut surfaces. The strawberries should look juicy but firm and the rhubarb should snap cleanly with pale centers. Soft berries smear and watery stalks weaken the filling. Miss the 10-minute window in a warm kitchen and the fruit starts leaking before mixing. Cold cutting preserves structure during the long bake.
Transfer the 3 cups quartered strawberries and 3 cups sliced rhubarb into a large bowl at 68°F to 72°F. Whisk the granulated cane sugar, cornstarch and fine sea salt first. Then scatter the dry mixture over the fruit. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Fold from the bottom with broad turns for 60 to 90 seconds. Let the mixture stand for exactly 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fold once at minute 5 so every piece gains a thin glossy coating. You should see a small ruby puddle at the bowl’s base and smell fresh lemon. Stir longer and the berries crush. Skip the rest and dry starch pockets remain. Brief maceration dissolves sugar while cornstarch coats the released juice.
Keep both refrigerated all-butter pie crusts between 38°F and 42°F. Press one crust into a 9-inch clear glass pie plate within 5 minutes. Smooth the base with flat fingertips and leave a 1-inch overhang. Then spoon in the rested fruit and its juices. Dot the top with 1 tablespoon cold butter cubes. Next, spread the filling into a low uneven mound with more fruit near the center. The dough should look matte and flexible without greasy patches. The filling should remain glossy and chunky. Warm dough slumps below the rim and tears during weaving. Overfill the edges and juice seals the crust poorly. Chilled dough traps distinct butter layers for a flaky base.
Cut the second chilled crust into eight uneven 1-inch strips at 40°F or colder. Weave four strips each direction across the filling in 6 to 8 minutes. Fold alternating strips back and lay each cross strip down. Trim the ends and crimp both crusts together with uneven thumb presses. Chill the assembled pie for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F. Beat the large egg with whole milk and brush a thin coat over the lattice. Scatter turbinado sugar across the damp crust. The dough should feel firm and the sugar crystals should stay visible. Rush the chill and the lattice spreads. Soak the crust and egg pools brown too fast. Firm butter keeps the lattice defined during the first heat blast.
Set the chilled Strawberry Rhubarb Pie in a 425°F oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then lower the oven to 375°F without opening the door. Continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pie 180 degrees at minute 30. Cover only the crimped rim when it reaches deep gold. (My first batch stayed at 400°F, the rim darkened too early). Finally, watch the center gaps rather than the edge bubbles. Thick ruby filling must bubble slowly through at least three lattice openings for 5 full minutes. The crust should turn deep golden with lighter buttery patches. Pull it early and the center stays loose. Bake past 60 minutes and strawberry pieces collapse. Sustained bubbling activates the cornstarch throughout the deepest filling.
Cool the baked pie in its glass plate at 68°F to 72°F for 4 hours. Don’t cover it during this time. Then cut one wedge with a clean downward motion and lift it onto a white dessert plate. Add a 1/3-cup scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and dust with 1 teaspoon powdered cane sugar. The slice should hold a glossy jewel-red center with visible strawberry quarters and short rhubarb pieces. You should hear the crust crack softly at the fork line. Cut before 4 hours and hot juices flood the plate. Leave ice cream on longer than 5 minutes and it hides the lattice texture. Full cooling lets the starch gel set before slicing.

Notes

Pro Tips:

Choose rhubarb stalks no wider than 1 inch, because thinner stalks soften evenly during the 55 to 60 minute bake.
Keep both crust rounds at 38°F to 42°F, because warm butter smears and the bottom loses flaky layers.
Measure 3 cups of each fruit after cutting, since heaped whole berries can add nearly 1 cup of unwanted juice.
Chill the woven Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for 15 minutes before baking so the lattice holds its uneven handmade shape.
Look for slow bubbles in at least three center openings for 5 full minutes, not just rapid edge bubbles.
Rotate the glass pie plate after 30 minutes at 375°F when your oven browns more strongly at the back.
Add 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest to the filling for brighter perfume without changing the starch ratio.

Storage: Cool Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for 4 hours before covering it. Refrigerate the whole pie in its glass plate under a fitted cover for up to 4 days. For freezing, wrap the fully cooled pie twice in plastic wrap and once in foil. Freeze it for up to 3 months. Individual wedges also freeze well when separated with parchment inside an airtight container. Reheat chilled slices at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, then rest them for 5 minutes before serving. Frozen slices need 20 to 25 minutes at the same temperature. Add vanilla bean ice cream only after reheating so it doesn’t soak the crust. Discard the pie if the filling smells fermented, shows fuzzy growth or leaks thin gray liquid around the fruit.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 293g
Calories: 441
Sugar: 43g
Sodium: 283mg
Fat: 15g
Carbohydrates: 77g
Fiber: 5g
Cholesterol: 33mg