Pie Party: Rhubarb-Raspberry Cream Pie Recipe

My neighbor has given me carte blanche with his handsome rhubarb patch, although at the time he probably had no idea just how close of an affection I have for rhubarb. While most of you have moved on to strawberries, blueberries and other summer fruits, I’m still hung up on puckery stalks of pink.

I tend to like this late crop of rhubarb best; it may be just my imagination, but it has a more pronounced flavor than its watery spring equivalent. Perhaps the summer heat contributes to a more intense flavor? All speculating aside, I’m still pushing back the leaves to get at the tender red shoots.

For this pie, I decided to marry the saucy rhubarb with the sweeter raspberries and the result, I am convinced, is a seasonal pie to rival any other. It is reminiscent of one of my favorite simple desserts, rhubarb compote with custard, only served up much more elegantly in a rich pie crust.

The words Cream Pie by themselves bring a smile to my face; couple them with the season’s most delicate berry and a brazen vegetable and you have a perfect pie. While some may argue that a classic strawberry-rhubarb pie can’t be beat – and indeed it is not a simple conquest – after this pie, I think I new classic should be established.

Why pie?

Why not? Actually, several hundred (thousand?) other food bloggers and bakers are all baking, eating and writing about pie today, July 5. It’s a pie party.

Lead by Shauna of Gluten Free Girl (who I’m going to meet this month at Big Summer Potluck), we’re making pie because, well, as Shauna puts it, “pie makes people happy”.

So join us. Follow the #pieparty hashtag on Twitter, check out the Facebook group for some sweet pie inspiration, then bake a pie of your own and enjoy it with friends. It’s summer. What else do you have going on?

Tips for success with your rhubarb-raspberry cream pie

  1. Choose the reddest rhubarb you can find to give the pie a lovely rosy color.
  2. Use a glass pie pan and you won’t have any problems with soggy bottom crust. Glass is a wonderful heat conductor – plus you can always take a peek at the bottom and see if it is getting too dark – or not dark enough.
  3. If a pie crust is indeed getting too dark, place the pie onto a baking sheet and finish the baking time on the middle shelf.
  4. I use organic cane sugar, but you can substitute white sugar, if that is what you have. It will result in a truer cream-colored pie.
  5. Be sure to cool the pie (chilled is best) before slicing.

Recipe: Rhubarb-Raspberry Cream Pie

Adapted from Jennifer Murch.

ingredients:

  • 1 9-inch pie shell. I use my reliable Rich Pie Crust, and freeze half of the recipe.
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 cup organic cane sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup 35% cream (whipping cream)

method:

Roll pie crust and fit into 9-inch glass pie pan. Crimp the edges and refrigerate while you prep the filling. This rest period is important to the overall flakiness of the crust.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash, dry and chop rhubarb to measure 1-1/2 cups. Place in the bottom of the pie pan and sprinkle raspberries on top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and flour, followed by the eggs. Beat well, then pour in the cream and mix to combine.

Pour cream mixture over the fruit and place in the center rack of the oven. Bake, rotating once or twice, for 35-45 minutes. The center will jiggle just slightly, but it will set up as the pie cools.

Cool pie on a wire rack until room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. Best enjoyed on the same day it is baked.

What’s your favorite summer pie?

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

36 Comments

  1. rhubarb and raspberries? that’s a combination i would never think of myself, but i’m sure going to try to make this pie tonight…it looks delish

  2. We make a berry clafouti around here in the summer. It’s not a pie, but then we usually save the pies for fall and winter.

    1. Pie is perfect for harvest time, you are right, but I have to make a few cream pies in the summer. Peaches & cream in another favorite, as are ice cream pies. 😉

  3. What an amazing looking pie, and what a great combination… and with deep, intense late season flavours – even better! I wish I had known it was Pie Day today. I made a Fresh Cherry Phyllo Pie yesterday, but sadly the pictures are still in the camera. Happy Pie Day Aimee.

    1. Ahh, it’s hard to beat a fresh blueberry pie. I think I’m headed in that direction this summer though, as soon as they come into season!

  4. This looks delightful, so creamy and comforting but perfect for summer too! I tried my first ever rhubarb pie this year (which i made hurrah!) and it was love at first bite, I would love to try more recipes including it and this looks ideal 🙂

  5. I loved the idea of putting raspberries with the rhubarb and creme. I just made this pie today, but the Creme didn’t set up. I live in salt lake city at approx. 4,000 ft. Altitude. Is this part of my problem? Can you please give any hints for success? Higher temp? Longer cooking time? More flour? More fruit? Fresh vs. frozen fruit? So many variables…
    I would like to try this again soon in order to master it. Thanks.

  6. Hi. Im using everything as mentioned in recipe but it takes way too long to bake it. What am I doing wrong? Maybe the converting gone wrong? I bake in 175°C for 40 min but is still not baked well. Maybe my pie pan is too big? Mine is 22,8 cm.

  7. My grandmother made a rhubarb/raspberry cream pie and would never give my mother the recipe. When she died, my mother found her recipe, and it’s almost identical to this one – she used a little more filling, but the simplicity of the recipe is the same. I just made two of these pies for the Fourth of July weekend, and they were devoured immediately after the BBQ. The combination/mix of the flavors is the best.

  8. My husband and I have been making this for two years now and it’s a favorite. Do yourself a favor and make it!