MAMMY'S RHUBARB PIE

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

I love this recipe. Although rhubarb can be used in other dishes, such as cakes and sauces, rhubarb pie is the ultimate presentation. I prefer a crumb topping, probably because that is how my Pennsylvania Dutch grandmother and mother made most of their pies, but the crumbs can be replaced with a full or lattice crust. If you are not familiar with rhubarb, be aware that it is very tart, which is why it takes an ample amount of sugar. This is an easy and delicious dessert or sweet treat.

INGREDIENTS

• One 9-inch pie shell, store-bought or homemade (see the link below)

• 4 cups of 1-inch thick rhubarb slices (about 8 large stalks or 1-1/2 pounds)
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 425° F. Combine the rhubarb, sugar, flour, lemon and salt. Turn into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the crumb topping. Combine the ingredients; mix with hands until large crumbs form. After the pie has baked for 30 minutes, sprinkle the crumbs on top. Bake for 15 minutes more or until crumbs are brown and pie is bubbly. Cool on a rack before serving.

Note: As I said in the comments above, rhubarb is tart. Depending on your taste for sweets, you might want to add a little more sugar.

Variation: For a more elegant presentation. Bake the pie in a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Reduce the rhubarb to 2 cups and cut the other ingredients for the filling in half. Use the same amount of crumbs and crust. After cooling, remove the sides of the pan and place the pie on a serving plate. (The same can be done with a larger tart pan and the full amount of filling)