- Preparation Time: 20-40 minutes
- Cooking Time: 45-55 minutes
- One double-crust 9-incb Pie
Pastry
- 5 1/2 cups flour, all-purpose
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound lard
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- water
Pastry yields 3 9-incb double-crust Pies or 6 pie shells. Unused pastry may be stored in refrigerator for 2-3 days or frozen.
Filling
- 4 cups fresh rhubarb (or frozen, thawed), cut in 1/2-inch pieces
- 1-1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 4250F. Mix together flour and salt. Cut in lard with a pastry blender, or 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- In a 1-cup measure, combine vinegar and egg. Add water to make 1 cup. Gradually stir liquid into dry ingredients but do not press mixture together. Add only enough liquid to make dough cling together. The amount will vary.
- Gather into ball and divide into 6 portions. Reserve 2 portions for rhubarb pie and refrigerate for 10 minutes while preparing filling. (Wrap unused portions and refrigerate until required or freeze.)
- Mix together rhubarb, sugar, tapioca and salt.
- Take 2/3 of dough and pat into circle. Roll out pastry, keeping circular shape, until half-inch larger than pie plate. Place loosely in 9-inch pie plate and trim even with rim. (Do not stretch the pastry).
- Roll out remaining pastry for top crust, making it inch larger than pie pan. If preferred, pastry may be cut in strips for lattice crust.
- Fill bottom crust with pie filling; dot with butter. Wet edge of bottom pastry to ensure 2 crusts seal. Cover with top pastry. Fold edge of top pastry under edge of bottom pastry. Flute edges together with thumb and forefinger.
- For whole crust, cut 2 or 3 slashes in centre of to allow steam to escape. Brush pastry with cold and sprinkle lightly with sugar (optional).
- Place pie in oven at 425F for 15-20 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Reduce heat to 350F and continue baking 30-40 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.
