Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet

Recipe for a delightful spring time classic… strawberry rhubarb pie

This post comes from our blog intern, Emily.

One of my favorite combinations: strawberry + rhubarb!

Strawberries are invading my local supermarket and rhubarb has just started to trickle in — and I couldn’t be happier. Rhubarb is pretty special, it doesn’t stay around for long and you never really know when it will arrive. But when I saw it in the produce section last week, I stocked up set out to make a pie.

I made a spelt flour pie crust and simmered the fruit, then topped it with a crumble. The spelt flour added a delicious graham cracker-ish texture and taste that was divine!

Ingredients
For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp unrefined coconut sugar
• 1/2 heaping tsp cinnamon
• A pinch of salt
• 11 tbsp chilled unsalted organic butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (You can use alternatives like coconut oil or shortening — just make sure they’re chilled. It was my first time making a pie crust so I went with the safest option. Next time: coconut oil!)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp ice cold water
• 1 egg, beaten to blend (for glazing)

For the crumb topping:

• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup unrefined coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp chilled coconut oil

For the filling:

• 3 cups rhubarb, sliced 1/2-inch thick on sharp diagonal
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 cup unrefined coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions
For the crust:

1. Combine the spelt flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Mix together. Add in the cubes of butter and press the butter into the mixture with a fork until butter is the size of peas. Add in the vanilla and water, mixing again just until the dough comes together, adding more water by the tbsp if necessary. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thick round. Peel off the top sheet of paper.  Transfer the dough to a 9-inch deep dish pie plate.  Discard the parchment paper.  Trim the overhang and crimp edges if desired.  Refrigerate 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350.  Line the crust with foil.  Fill with dried beans or pie weights. I didn’t have either of these, so I poked several holes in the crust with a fork so air can escape, then covered with foil.  Bake until the crust is set, about 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and weights/beans (if you are using).  Brush the crust with the egg glaze. Bake until light brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the topping:

1. Combine the oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Mix in the coconut oil until crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the filling:

1. Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large pot. Allow to cook on medium-low for up to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until juices thicken.
2. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.  Cover with the crumble.  Bake for 35 minutes or until topping is golden and juices are bubbling. Serve warm.

A scoop of coconut milk ice cream makes it even more blissful! Enjoy!

+What’s your favorite way to use strawberries and rhubarb?

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