RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE

Pie: the GOAT of all home baked sweet treats

Why don’t we see that many pie shops around? Is it because pie is so complicated to make? We make croissants in the thousands all at once. Is it because there is no pie-lover market for a pie shop? Most definitely not. Maybe pie doesn’t travel well? That is absolutely, not the case.

We see galette’s, tarte tatin’s, quiches, glam tart’s & tartelette’s out and about, yet we don’t see enough pie. I think that is for good reason. Maybe there is some unspoken agreement that pie is exclusively for family tables, afternoon snacks at home, picnic potlucks, used as assets for trades, for breakfast? With yogurt? Why not! Pie transcends the cyclical nature of trends - forever holding a place as one of the greatest desserts of all time.

The clear answer is that pie is fundamentally in its nature a baked good that is best made/eaten/gifted in the domestic sphere (this includes pie at a picnic potlucks!!). Pie SCREAMS domesticity. From the iconoclastic ideal of moms apple pie; to the image of a pie cooling on the window sill; OR though not eaten at home, still humble in nature; having a shitty yet still amazing slice of pie at a diner (my fav is apple with a slice of cheddar broiled on top and scoop of vanilla ice cream) is like begging to be wrapped in the blanket you were born in.

My final point is that if you are interested in being a well-seasoned home baker, becoming a badass at making pie is a MUST. Even if you aren’t interested in becoming a well rounded above average home baker, knowing how to make a pie worthy of being shared is something I urge you to seriously consider. It is so impressive and intimate. Have you ever been over to a friends and been offered a slice of pie? Have you ever felt the abundance of the universe through one single peak-in-season strawberry? Have you ever felt the presence of a guiding light? That is what pie is to me. It is so damn touching.

RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE

The first rhubarb custard pie I ever had was thanks to my sister, Yaya. She got the recipe from her mother, Carla Sorbara. This recipe is a marriage between Carla’s recipe, the custard pie from Pie for Everyone and some of my own tinkering.

The pie dough uses a technique I learnt from Pie for Everyone. Essentially the seasoning is dissolved into a measured amount of warm water. The water is then cooled down to an ice cold temperature. Then it is added to the butter & flour mix. A couple things here are at play: the liquid seasoning gives a depth versus sitting on top of one’s palate since liquid disperses & integrates better than something dry and granular. Secondly, having a measured amount of water ensures the dough JUST comes together taking away any guess work; it stops the over production of gluten; lastly, there is quite a bit of moisture in butter so any parts of the dough that aren’t coming together as easily will come together in the folding process. Resulting in a flaky, salty, buttery, tender, strong dough that is very easy to work with.

RECIPE

All measurements are in grams or use spoon measurements. Eggs are counted per unit.