Julie's Request

Fresh Rhubarb Pie

This recipe came out of a very worn, tattered and stained Betty Crocker’ Cookbook, page 353.

For the Filling:
For mild flavor, choose your rhubarb early and pink. If it is, do not peel. Cut into 1 inch pieces. For an eight inch pie cut three cuts, three cups for a nine inch. Amount of sugar for the rhubarb depends on the tartness. I don’t have a clue as to how much this might be, but after looking at other recipes I’d say about a cup. Mix coat rhubarb with sugar in bowl and set aside while preparing the crust.

Mom’s Pie Crust: (Found on an index card in her own hand)
2 Cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups shortening
¼ cup plus 2 tsp chilled water

The Technique:
Sift flour and then measure 2 cups. Cut shortening into flour using two knifes. The shortening should be about the size of peas and small lima beans (more peas than lima beans). Keep it cold so keep your fingers off. Put mixture into refrigerator to chill. By the tablespoon, add chilled water. Don’t use frozen water like I did. I dropped a few slivers of ice in the dough. It doesn’t help. Gather lightly into a ball with a fork. Keep hands off dough. Divide into two, making two balls. Okay you can use your hands at this point, but the less man-handling the more flaky the crust and that is what this is all about.

Before rolling ball form a small indentation with thumb into the ball of dough. Why? I am not sure, but those are mom’s instructions and you don’t mess with perfection. I think it helps rolling the dough out in round shape.

Do all this dough rolling (not rolling in the dough) on a floured cloth pastry and roll the dough in one direction from the center to the outside. Rotate the pastry cloth if needed to get a round crust 2 inches larger than the pie pan. Fold in half and lift into pan.

Temperature: 425 in a preheated oven

Time: 40-50 minutes.

Rhubarb Cheese Pie

Mom had this recipe in her box. However, I don’t remember it.

For the Filling:
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
4 cups rhubarb, ½ inch pieces
4 Pkgs (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 cup sour cream
½ cups slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 425. Roll out pie crust and place in a pie pan. In sauce pan mix ½ cup sugar and cornstarch. Add rhubarb and cook, stirring until thickened and tender. Pour into pie shell and bake for 10 minutes.

In a bowl beat the cream cheese, eggs, remaining sugar and lemon rind. Pour over the rhubarb. Reduce oven temperature to 350, return pie to oven and bake for 30 minutes until set. Remove from oven, spread with sour cream and return to oven for a final 5 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with almonds.