April
KQED Kitchen, hosted by Kim Goodfriend, brings you
seasonal dessert recipes that you can follow
step by step through online slideshows.
This month, Kim prepares a rhubarb pie, a seasonal dessert for April.
Rhubarb, known as the "pieplant," stars in this tangy, flavorful lattice-top pie. Look for field-grown rhubarb, which is more flavorful than hothouse. If you like, add a cup of chopped strawberries to the filling for a more classic twist.
8 tablespoons (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 7 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
6 stalks rhubarb (about 5 cups sliced)
1 tablespoon orange juice
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
For the topping:
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sugar
Preparation:
To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor or a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and sugar. Sprinkle the butter and shortening over the top and process for a few seconds, or just until the butter is slightly broken up into the flour but still in visible pieces. If making the dough by hand, cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or 2 table knives. Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture evenly, then process or stir until the mixture just started to come together. Dump the mixture out of the bowl onto 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Press the dough together into a mound and then wrap with plastic and press into a flat disk. Refrigerate the dough to chill for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Trim the stalks of rhubarb, making sure to remove all of the leaves from the stalk as they are poisonous. Slice the rhubarb into ½-inch slices and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the orange juice, sugar, and flour and toss with a wooden spoon to mix. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Have ready a 9-inch glass pie dish or metal pie pan.
Remove the chilled disk from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Divide the disk into two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Place the larger disk on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle a bit more flour on top of the disk. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is 1/8-inch thick. When rolling, continue to sprinkle the work surface and top of the dough with flour and lift and turn the dough so that it does not stick and stays round. When the dough is about 12 inches across (use the pie dish to make sure it is large enough), roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin and unroll it over the dish. Make sure the dough round is centered in the pie dish. Gently lift the edge of the dough and press it into the pie dish, letting the extra dough hang over the side.
Roll out the smaller disk of dough into a rectangle approximately 12 inches long and 9 inches wide. Trim the edges with a pizza cutter or sharp knife, then cut the rectangle lengthwise into 8 equal 1-inch strips.
Pour the rhubarb filling into the lined pie dish. To lattice the pie, lay 4 of the dough strips across the pie, spacing them evenly. Pull back the first and third strips. Place a dough strip crosswise on the pie. Replace the folded back strips. Pull back the second and fourth strips and lay another strip crosswise, spacing it evenly with the other crosswise strip.
Repeat 2 more times until the pie is latticed (see photographs in the slideshow).
Using a small knife or kitchen scissors, trim the dough so that you have about ¾ inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself on the dish rim. Using a fork, crimp the dough. Or make another decorative pie edge.
Using a pastry brush, brush the lattice strips and pie edge with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the pie with the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake the pie at 400F for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375F and bake an additional 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling and tender when poked with a fork. If the pie begins to bubble over about 30-45 minutes into baking, line the rack beneath it with foil and continue baking.
Let the pie cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
highlights
food blog: bay area bites
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