What do you get when you cross a butter tart with rhubarb? Rhubarb Custard Pie. This easy recipe with just a few ingredients results in a creamy and delicious sweet and tart pie.
There is no actual custard in this pie filling. Instead, chopped fresh rhubarb is mixed with ingredients you would find in a Butter Tart. If you choose to use a store bought pastry you’ll need the kind you can roll out to create a lattice top. Otherwise, here’s a Perfect Pie Pastry recipe. It’s not as hard as you think!
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The secret to the filling in Rhubarb Custard Pie is to whip the eggs until they’re foamy, thick and light yellow. Then stir in the rest of the ingredients.
How to make a lattice top pie crust
You can leave the top completely open and the custard browns slightly like a butter tart. Or, you can add a lattice top. It looks impressive but it’s really easy. Basically you divide the dough into a little more than half and a little less than half. Roll out the larger piece to fit in the pie shell. Pour in the filling. Then, roll out the remaining pastry into a rectangle, which is actually easier than rolling into a round shape. Using a sharp knife or a fancy edge pastry/pasta cutter, cut into strips, trying to keep the width as even as possible. A pizza cutter works well too.
Brush some cold water around the edge of the bottom crust. Now, starting with the longest strips, place across the widest part of the pie, spacing them evenly apart. You can use thinner strips and smaller spaces or thicker strips and larger spaces. If you’re new to lattice top, I suggest starting with wider strips.
To create the lattice effect, fold back every other strip and place one strip across the top, starting with the shorter strips. Fold strips back into place, then fold back the opposite strips. Place another strip across and fold back. And so on. You end up with a basket weave type of pattern. Press gently on the top edge to help seal the crust pieces together. Crimp or seal the edge with any method you like. Using a fork is a good beginner technique but here is how I do it. Place two fingers in a V, then using your thumb on the other hand, push the dough into the V. Like this.
Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. It will still taste the same in the end.
Pies should always be baked in the lower third of the oven. This ensures the bottom of the crust is cooked completely. Bake your pie at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 350 and bake another 35-38 minutes. If your oven fan turns on when you reduce the temperature, cover the pie temporarily with foil to prevent over browning.
Allow the pie to cool on a rack so the bottom pastry doesn’t get soggy. This also allows time for the filling to set.
If you make Rhubarb Custard Pie, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Rhubarb Custard Pie
Ingredients
Pastry
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- â…“ cup shortening, cubed
- â…“ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- ¼ cup ice water enough to just hold pastry together
Filling
- 2 ½ cups chopped rhubarb
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 2 large eggs, well beaten
Instructions
- Make pastry by pulsing flour, salt, shortening and butter in food processor until course lumps. Slowly add water with quick pulses between additions until just holding together. Press into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to chill.
- Divide dough into 2 parts, one slightly larger than the other. Return smaller half to the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic. On a well floured surface roll dough into a circle about 2 inches larger than the pie plate outer edge. Turn and flip dough as needed while rolling to prevent sticking.
- Using a rolling pin, gently roll pastry over top and unroll over pie plate. Adjust as necessary to fit evenly in pie plate. Do not trim edges yet. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and ensure rack is in lower setting.
- To prepare filling, beat eggs very well until they are very frothy, expanding and light yellow. Add all other ingredients and pour into pie shell.
- Roll out second half of dough into a rectangular shape using same turning and flipping method as for bottom shell. Using a sharp cutter, slice into even strips approximately one to two inches wide. Brush water on outer edge of bottom crust. Arrange half of the strips over top of pie, using longest strips across the widest part of the pie.
- Create lattice top by folding back alternate strips in each row and placing new strips across in the opposite direction. Fold strips back in place, fold back alternate strips and lay second row of strips, repeating until entire pie top is covered evenly in lattice pattern as shown above in photos.
- Press edges of pie crust to seal pastry in place. Trim excess from edges and crimp to seal and finish edge.
- Bake on lower rack of preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 35-38 minutes until top is browning and filling is bubbling. If you have the type of oven where a fan comes on if the temperature is reduced, gently cover the pie with foil until the fan stops to prevent over browning.
- Cool on a rack to set pie filling before slicing.
I had rhubarb custard pie for the first time a couple of years ago just eating it to be polite to the person who brought it to my house. It was delicious!