This recipe has mostly lard (shortening works too) which is why it is so flaky. I firmly believe that pies should never be made with an all-butter crust; they're tasty but the texture is all wrong. I think that next time I will cut back a little more on the butter just to try and get a pie crust that is exactly like my granny's was.
The beautiful thing about this pie is that the crust is so soft it actually reminds me a little of shortbread that melts in your mouth. It kind of flakes apart and then melts and makes my mouth oh so very very happy
Ingredients
The Crust3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
¾ cup shortening, cold
½ cup salted butter, cold
1 ½ teaspoons cold water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, or sub white vinegar
1 teaspoon bacon fat,
The Pie3 ½ cups rhubarb, diced small
3 cups strawberries, diced
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Optional: whipped cream or ice cream, for serving
Method
The Crust
* Combine the flour, sugar, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
* Add the shortening, butter, and if using the optional bacon fat and pulse to combine. The dough should look a little like wet sand at this point.
* Transfer the dough into a large bowl and add the cold water and apple cider vinegar. Working with just the tips of your fingers, combine everything just until the dough forms a ball.
* Divide the dough into 2 balls and wrap the balls in plastic wrap and place them into the fridge for at least a half hour, or up to 2 days. (If you are making a lattice top, like in the pictures, make one ball slightly larger than the other.)
The Pie* Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
* Combine the rhubarb, strawberry, sugar, and flour in a bowl and mix to combine well.
* Take the slightly larger ball of dough out of the fridge, remove the plastic and place it on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper.
* Press it down with the heel of your palm, dust it lightly with flour, then cover it with another piece of parchment.
* Roll the dough starting in the centre and pushing the dough away from you using a rolling pin. Turn the parchment paper ¼ turn after each roll so that the dough forms a circle.
* Roll the dough so that it is 2 inches larger than your pie pan.
* Remove the top piece of parchment and use the bottom piece to guide the dough into the pie pan. Place the pie pan into the fridge.
* Remove the second piece of dough from the fridge and repeat the same process. Cut the dough into 1 inch strips.
* Pour the pie filling into the pie pan, crisscross the strips across the pie then pinch the edges together. Don't worry about making it perfect, we prefer it when it looks rustic.
* Place the pie on a rimmed baking tray and bake it for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue to bake it for another 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is light brown.
* Keep an eye on the edges of the crust and if they are browning too quickly cover them loosely with aluminum foil. We usually have to do this after 20-25 minutes of baking.
* Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before you serve it.