STRAIGHT-UP & PERFECT RHUBARB PIE

2007 Update: This crust is beautiful and the instructions explicit so I'm sharing both Anne's recipe and techniques. [Brackets indicate my own added tips.] But both new and experienced pie bakers will find tips, tricks, tools and useful techniques in my photo tutorial about how to make flaky tender pie crust.

CRUST
6 tablespoons ice water [a few ice cubes in a glass with cold water]
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon [table] salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening [Crisco] plus 2 tablespoons

Preheat the oven to 425F. Fill a glass with the ice water.

Before measuring, fluff the flour with a fork to leaven it with air, then measure out the 2 cups. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a fork [my choice] or pastry blender. Stop as soon as the sheen of the shortening disappears and the mixture is a bunch of coarse pieces. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the ice water at a time over the dough, lifting and tossing it with the fork. When it begins to come together, gather it in your hands in a ball and then pull apart into two pieces: if it crumbles, it's too dry and needs a teaspoon or two of more water. [I find that while you don't want a goopy dough, more water is far better than less.] Gather the dough into two balls, one larger than the other for the bottom crust.

Anne specifies two steps for rolling out the crust.

Step One: Flatten the larger ball into a disc, rounding any rough edges [do round the edges, it helps create a circle during rolling]. Dust both sides with flour. Then working quickly, roll out the dough [with a flour-dusted rolling pin] from the center a bit but don't yet roll thin.
Step Two: Use a knife to remove the flattened disc from the counter. Dust it with flour again and put aside for a moment. Dust the work surface with flour, then place the disc in the center. Working quickly and from the center out, roll out the dough until it's quite thin and is 1 - 2 inches larger than your pie dish.

Place the rolling pin a third of the way in from one of the edge. Roll the crust onto the pin, then into the pie pan. Lightly arrange the crust into place. Place in the freezer while prepping the rhubarb.

RHUBARB
5 cups sliced [fresh] rhubarb [I removed the strings, then cut into about 3/4 inch pieces]
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon [do invest in the Penzeys!]

ASSEMBLY
1 1/2 tablespoons butter [in tiny pieces]

Toss the rhubarb pieces with sugar, flour and cinnamon. Arrange the rhubarb in the bottom crust. Dot with the butter. Roll out the top crust. Using your fingers, dab the rim of the bottom crust with ice water. Arrange the second crust on top. Trim the edges, then crimp the edges together to seal. With a sharp knife, cut several vents in the top crust.

BAKING
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake 25 - 30 minutes more [my first two pies took a good 15 - 20 minutes more] until a bit of pink juice bubbles from the vents. Let cool before slicing. Serve with good vanilla ice cream.

LEFTVOVER PASTRY?
You will have scraps of leftover pastry: this is good! Cut the odd-shaped pieces into bite-size sections and transfer to a baking sheet. Don't reroll -- that will make the pastry tough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350F. Eat while hot!



KITCHEN NOTES
The third pie did "ooze" more than preferable (perhaps because I dabbed more than the specified 1 1/2 tablespoons butter?)
The first two pies took considerably longer to bake than specified but that might have been my mother's oven since the third, baked in my own oven, did not.
The crust is pale, enough that the next time, I might brush it with milk before baking. But then again, why mess with perfection?
Don't forget the ice cream!!