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Rhubarb Custard Pie

By Ashley Engish, Small Measure

Every bite of this pie is such an unexpected delight. Its smooth, custard appearance hides the gentle tartness in store. In this recipe, rhubarb is first cooked down into a creamy compote, and then beaten into the custard base. Give the pie plenty of time to cool down, as its flavors are best experienced at room temperature.

Makes: One 9-inch pie.

You Will Need:
½ recipe Basic Pie Dough (recipe follows)

Filling:
1 pound rhubarb (stem only, diced)
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Egg Wash:
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp cold water

To Make:
Prepare the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove one disk of chilled dough from the refrigerator.  On a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a 12-inch circle.
3. Carefully lift the rolled dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the overhang to 1 inch. Crimp the edges decoratively. Prick the bottom of the crust about 6-7 times with a fork. Place the crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. Line the piecrust with parchment and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
5. Remove the dried beans or pie weights and parchment. Cool the piecrust completely before filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Prepare the filling:

1. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the rhubarb and cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches a thick, pudding-like consistency.
2. Add the sugar and the honey. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove the saucepan from the stove. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and whisk to fully combined.
5. Remove ½ cup of the custard base and gradually whisk it into the rhubarb compote.
6. Slowly whisk all of the rhubarb compote into the custard base. The mixture will thicken as you do this. Take your time, so that the heat from the compote doesn’t interact too quickly with the custard and cause it to curdle. 

Assemble the pie:

1. Pour the mixture in the prepared piecrust.
2. Beat the egg yolk and water together. Using a pastry brush, cover the piecrust edges with the egg wash.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until the filling has set.
4. Cool at least one hour before serving. This pie is at its best served either at room temp or slightly warm.

Basic Pie Dough
Makes: Crust for one double-crust pie.

You Will Need:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), chilled and cubed
3/4 cup ice water

To Make:

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a medium-large mixing bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, incorporate the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (you should still have rather large bits of butter and shortening when you're done).
3. Slowly drizzle in the ice water. Stir with a mixing spoon until the dough starts to clump.
4. Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface, and fold it together into itself using your hands. The dough should come together easily but should not feel overly sticky.
5. Cut the dough in half and shape into two balls. Wrap each dough ball in cellophane and refrigerate for at least an hour.
6. Proceed according to the pie recipe instructions above.