level: easy   Makes one 9-inch pie, 6 to 8 slices

Crust:
1 recipe Traditional Pastry Piecrust dough for a 9-inch double-crust pie
½ cup heavy cream (to glaze the top crust and crimped pie edges)

Filling:
1½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
Pinch of salt
6 cups trimmed ½-inch-thick rhubarb slices (approximately 8 large rhubarb stalks)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To prepare the pie shell, on a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out half a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle. Fold the circle in half, place it in a 9-inch pie plate so that the edges of the circle drop over the rim, and unfold the dough to completely cover the pie plate. Set the pie shell to the side while you make the filling.

To prepare the filling, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, and salt. Place the rhubarb in a large bowl and sprinkle it with the sugar mixture, making sure the rhubarb is thoroughly coated. Place the rhubarb in the pie shell, distributing it evenly. Dot the filling with the butter.

To prepare the top crust, roll out the second half of the dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle. Fold the dough circle in half and place it over the filling, with the straight line of the half circle running down the middle of the pie.

Unfold the circle so that the entire pie is covered. Using your thumb and index finger, crimp the edges of the pie together to seal in the filling, and then use a fork to puncture the top of the pie 5 or 6 times.

Brush the top of the pie and crimped edges with heavy cream to create a perfect, golden brown finish.

To bake, place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow the pie to cool and set for 1½ hours before serving.

Rhubarb Pie is best served at room temperature or warmed to 350°F for about 10 minutes. It will keep at room temperature overnight and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes and Tips:
Be sure to cut off all of the leaves of a rhubarb stalk—they are toxic to humans. Wash the rhubarb stalk well and then peel the stringy skin to get to the core of this celerylike vegetable. Try this pie with the Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping for a nice contrast to rhubarb’s naturally tart taste.

Rhubarb Pie