Hello May! While I still wait for the sun to shine on a constitent basis here in NYC, I to took stock in what makes me happy. That’s right, go back to what you know, for me.....pie. My midwestern roots and love of spring rolled up into something so delicious and edible. This time though, I called in reinforcements.
Update to my favorite, a streusel topping to my strawberry rhubarb. Yes it’s delicious, yes it renders you speechless and yes change can be good! Follow along this recipe, I always make two pie crust discs even when one is only needed. I simply freeze the other until needed. The filling is my classic ratio and the topping is a riff on my much tried and true favorite streusel topping
Pie crust
Yields 2 9 inch discs
•2 1/2 cups a.p. flour
•2 sticks of chilled unsalted butter cut into cubes
•1/4 cup of brown sugar
•1 tsp of salt
•6-8 tbsp of cold water
Sift together flour, sugars and salt. Add the cubed butter into the mixture either using a pastry cutter to incorporate or your hands. Working quickly, mix all ingredients together until the butter starts to become pearl sized as it gets combined with the dry ingredients. Slowly add a few tbsp of cold water and mix together. Add more water till the mixture begins to be moistened through but not overly wet. Separate the dough into two equal parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate each disk for at least an hour-freeze one for later if making the streusel topping
While the dough rests make the filling
•1 quart of strawberries cleaned, stemmed and quartered
•3 stalks of rhubarb cleaned and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
•1/4 cup of sugar
•1/4 cup of brown sugar
Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and place in the fridge for half an hour to allow the fruit to macerate
Topping
•1 cup of four
•1/3 cup granulated sugar
•1/3 cup brown sugar
•1 tsp salt
•1 stick of butter
•1/2 cup of quick cooking oats
•1/2 cup sliced almonds, plus a tbsp more for sprinkling
For the topping, place the flour, the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the oats, and work it with your hands until it's in large crumbles. Add 1/2 cup of the almonds and mix well
Preheat your oven to 375º. Take one disk of dough out of the fridge. Flour a clean, flat surface and roll the dough out. Starting from the center with a floured rolling pin, you want to work out towards the corners. Once you get the dough to a desired thinness (a little less than a 1/4 inch) place in a buttered 9" pie dish. If the dough hangs over the sides a bit don't worry you can trim it back later. Pour in the strawberry and rhubarb filling, then top with the streusel mixture, ensuring the fruit is covered, sprinkles remaining almonds. Bake for 40 minutes until the filling is juicy and bubbling. Let the pie rest and cook for at least an hour before slicing! #FindYourLittleFriday ♥️