A reporter once asked me about guilty pleasures from my youth. Nacho cheese of the neon variety is a shameful one, but Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights was perhaps my guiltiest. It’s a terrible movie with awful writing, but it also contains romantic rooftop dancing sequences, a hip-shaking soundtrack, and a very sheepish Diego Luna.
My bffs and I watched it hundreds (and hundreds) of times, and it ignited a salsa frenzy in us. We took rec classes with sweaty creeps at the gym and, when we mastered the basics, ventured out to the clubs (the most notable of which was called Hot Monkey Love, because of course).
We all know hips don’t lie, and mine invariably tell the stiff, robotic truth. But this is pie and this pinwheel design will twist and shout whether you yourself can shake it or not. And, in any case, with supportive partners like tart strawberry rhubarb and nutty sweet pistachio frangipane, you’ll definitely be in it to spin it.
2 disks Basic Pie Dough
PISTACHIO FRANGIPANE FILLING
½ cup (60 grams) roasted unsalted shelled pistachios
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (½ stick/57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons (18 grams) all-purpose flour
1 large egg
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB FILLING
2 pounds (907 grams) fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into ¼-inch slices (about 5½ cups)
5 ounces (142 grams) fresh or frozen rhubarb, cut into ¼-inch slices (about 1 cup)
½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (28 grams) tapioca starch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
EGG WASH AND SUGAR SPRINKLE
Demerara sugar (optional)
PINWHEEL DESIGN NEEDS
Parchment paper
Ruler
Rolling pastry wheel
¾-inch circle cutter
Small bowl of water
Pastry brush
Paring knife
1. Roll 1 dough disk into an 11 × 15-inch rectangle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Using a ruler as a straight edge and a rolling pastry wheel, trim off the rough edges, then cut the rectangle crosswise into ¼-inch strips, leaving a 1-inch strip of dough on the side.
2. Using a ¾-inch circle cutter, punch out one dough circle from the remaining 1-inch strip. Slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and place the dough in the refrigerator to keep cold while proceeding with the pie.
3. Roll the second disk of dough into a 14-inch circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it over a 9-inch pie pan. Taking the edges of the dough, gently ease the dough into the pan, nestling it into the inner elbows of the pie pan. Trim the excess dough with kitchen shears to create a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang back under, creating an elevated edge. Place the pie shell in the refrigerator to keep cold while preparing the filling.
4. To prepare the pistachio frangipane filling, blitz the pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. Add the sugar and salt and pulse several times to blend.
5. Add the softened butter and process until the mixture begins to come together. Add the flour, egg, and vanilla and process until the mixture is smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula. Set aside.
6. To prepare the strawberry rhubarb filling, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently fold with a spatula until the fruit is evenly coated.
7. Scoop the pistachio frangipane into the pie shell and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula.
8. Pour the strawberry rhubarb filling on top of the frangipane and use a spatula to gently press the fruit down to create a somewhat flat surface.
9. Remove the dough strips from the refrigerator. Place one strip vertically down the center of the pie and gently press into the edges of the pie to secure. Place another strip horizontally across the surface of the pie, perpendicular to the first strip.
10. Place two diagonal strips in the form of an X, dividing each pie quadrant in half. All four strips should intersect at the center point of the pie and divide it visually into 8 wedges.
11. Each one-eighth section of the pie consists of five small straight strips radiating along the center line and secured on the edge of the pie. Lightly brush the vertical center line and the edge of the pie with water.
12. Cut a strip of dough in half, then place one end at the center of the pie and the other end on the edge of the pie ¼ inch from the center-top strip. Press gently to secure. Place another small strip on the vertical center line, ¼ inch above the previously placed strip, and ending on the edge of the pie, ¼ inch to the right of the previous strip. Continue placing three more small strips, moving up the center line and along the edge of the pie. The end of the fifth strip should touch the center marker of the next one-eighth section. Resist the urge to manually curve each strip. The optical illusion of the full design will create a curved effect, but the individual strips should be maintained as straight lines when placed.
13. Repeat this process for each one-eighth section of the pie. (If your dough becomes warm and melty at any point, you can slide a baking sheet under the parchment and pop the whole operation into the refrigerator for 5 minutes to chill.)
14. Brush a bit of water in the center of the design and place the dough circle in the middle.
15. Gently press around the edge of the pie to secure the strips. Run a paring knife around the edge of the pie to trim the excess dough.
16. Chill the entire pie in the freezer until the oven has come to temperature. The pie can be frozen solid before baking or simply chilled through, about 20 minutes.
17. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and prepare the egg wash.
18. When the oven has come to temperature, remove the pie from the freezer and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with demerara sugar, if desired.
19. Bake the pie for 25 minutes, then rotate the pie 180 degrees and lower the oven temperature to 350°F. If the edges are already brown, cover with a shield. If the top begins to brown excessively, rest a sheet of foil lightly on top. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling in the center, checking every 30 minutes to rotate the pie and adjust the shields as necessary, 80 to 100 total minutes. (If baking from frozen, add 30 to 45 minutes to the bake time.)
20. Cool the pie completely on a rack before slicing and serving.
SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS
Dough alternatives: Beet, Black Sesame, Blueberry, Butterfly Pea Flower, Cornflower, Dragon Fruit
NOTE
Frangipane is a sweet filling normally made with almonds. Here we use pistachios for a flavor that pairs delightfully with the tartness of the strawberry-rhubarb combination.