Rhubarb Custard Pie
One of our favorite rhubarb desserts, which were a mainstay of spring and summer in South Dakota, was rhubarb crisp. Fresh from the oven with a little evaporated milk or ice cream on top, it was the perfect balance of creaminess with the tart rhubarb and a hint of spice. This custard pie recipe is inspired by that combination; here the oats appear in the crust and the rhubarb is cooked into a compote so that the custard ever so lightly floats atop.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
Oat Crumble Crust for a 9-inch single-crust pie (see here), prebaked
1 pound fresh rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1¼ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup heavy cream
¾ cup sour cream
⅛ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla paste (Nielsen-Massey makes a readily available one)
2 large eggs
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the prebaked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, ¾ cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook over medium heat until the rhubarb is cooked down into a thick sauce. Set aside to cool while preparing the custard.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, heavy and sour creams, nutmeg, and vanilla paste, and mix until smooth. Stir in the eggs one at a time and mix well.
Spread the rhubarb mixture evenly in the prebaked crust. Strain the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve directly over the rhubarb or strain it into a separate bowl and then pour it over the rhubarb. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, about 15 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is no longer liquid but still quite wobbly. Be careful not to overbake or the custard can curdle and separate; the filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or cool.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 2 days or at room temperature for 1 day.
Strawberry Balsamic Pie
When Italian cooks first put aceto balsamico on fresh strawberries, they had the right idea—sweet, fragrant berries balanced by the earthy tartness of balsamic vinegar is a killer combination. We love our recipe for this pie—and it’s one of our most popular in the shop.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch double-crust pie (see here)
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed and quartered (5 to 6 cups)
1 small baking apple (such as Northern Spy or Golden Delicious)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground arrowroot
2 grinds fresh black pepper, fine setting
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
Demerara sugar, for finishing
Our friend and former pie shop baker and barista Sara Franklin likes to use the juice that drains off the strawberries by reducing it over low heat to make a syrup—it’s great drizzled over yogurt or ice cream or mixed with seltzer.
Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top (see here and here).
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar over the strawberries. Stir gently to combine and allow the fruit to macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Peel the apple and shred on the large holes of a box grater. Drain the strawberries of excess liquid and combine with the shredded apple. Sprinkle on the balsamic vinegar and Angostura bitters.
In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, arrowroot, black pepper, and salt. Gently fold the sugar mixture into the strawberry mixture. Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, arrange the lattice or pastry round on top, and crimp as desired (see here and here).
Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry.
Meanwhile, position the oven racks at the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash; if your pie has a lattice top, be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry (it will burn). Sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar.
Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling throughout, 35 to 40 minutes longer.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.
Wild Ginger Strawberry Pie
Wild ginger is a different species from traditional culinary ginger, and it has a beautiful roselike fragrance that pairs amazingly well with fruits—especially strawberry. Our wild ginger comes from Vermont, and is mailed to us each summer by our forager. It is labor-intensive to prep (use a vegetable peeler and rinse it well) but absolutely worth the effort for its unique and entirely unexpected flavor.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch double-crust pie (see here)
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed and quartered (5 to 6 cups)
1 small baking apple (such as Northern Spy or Golden Delicious)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dash Angostura bitters
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced wild ginger
3 to 4 tablespoons ground arrowroot
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
Demerara sugar, for finishing
If you are unable to find or forage wild ginger, you can substitute with standard store-bought fresh ginger (not dried). It won’t taste the same, but it will still be a killer pie. Use the same ratio of sugar to ginger.
Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top (see here and here).
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar over the strawberries. Stir gently to combine and allow the fruit to macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Peel the apple and shred on the large holes of a box grater. Drain the strawberries of excess liquid and combine with the shredded apple. Sprinkle on the lemon juice and Angostura bitters.
In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, wild ginger, arrowroot, allspice, and salt. Gently fold the sugar mixture into the strawberry mixture. Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, arrange the lattice or pastry round on top, and crimp as desired (see here and here).
Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry.
Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash; if your pie has a lattice top, be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry (it will burn). Sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar.
Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling throughout, 35 to 40 minutes longer.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.
Chamomile Buttermilk Custard Pie
When cold weather finally breaks and spring is in the air, our palates crave lighter flavors. The combination of floral chamomile and tangy buttermilk makes for a perfectly light springtime pie.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch single-crust pie (see here), partially prebaked (see here)
1 cup heavy cream
3 chamomile teabags, or 3 tablespoons dried chamomile flowers
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
To infuse the chamomile in this recipe, you will essentially be making a tea with heated cream and dried chamomile.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the prebaked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the heavy cream just to a boil over medium heat. Remove the cream from the heat, add the teabags or chamomile flowers, cover, and set aside to steep for at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, salt, and flour in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs one at a time, then the yolk. Remove the teabags from the cream, or strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the buttermilk and white vinegar to the chamomile cream, and then slowly stream the cream mixture into the egg mixture.
Strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the pie shell, or strain it into a separate bowl and then pour it into the shell. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, 30 to 35 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is no longer liquid but still quite wobbly. Be careful not to overbake or the custard can separate; the filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or cool.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 2 days or at room temperature for 1 day.