Strawberry Rhubarb Pie With Sweet Glaze

There is just something about strawberry rhubarb pie that tastes like early summer in New England. Sweet strawberries mellow out that tart rhubarb, and the little glaze over the top makes this one feel extra special without making it fussy. I was out at 6:30AM picking the Rhubarb and getting that pie in the oven before the heat of the day!

This is a good old-fashioned 9-inch pie with a flaky double crust, plenty of fruit filling, and a simple powdered sugar glaze drizzled over the top after baking. My secret weapon is Tapioca added in, otherwise you end up with a watery mess!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients

For the pie

• 1 package refrigerated pie crusts, or homemade double pie crust for a 9-inch pie
• 2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

For the glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 424°F.
2. Roll out one pie crust and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim any extra crust hanging far over the edge.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes so the tapioca can begin absorbing some of the fruit juices.
4. Pour the fruit filling into the prepared bottom crust. Dot the top with the small pieces of butter.
5. Place the second crust over the filling. Trim, tuck, and crimp the edges. Cut a few small vents in the top crust so steam can escape.
6. Bake for 60 minutes at 425°F,Dover the pie with foil until the last fifteen minutes and then remove foil. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
7. Let the pie cool completely before glazing. This matters because the filling needs time to set up.
8. For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make a thick but drizzle-able glaze. Spoon it over the cooled pie.

A Few Helpful Notes

• Rhubarb can vary a lot in tartness, so this is one pie where the sugar is doing real work. Do not cut it back too far unless you know your strawberries are especially sweet.
• The 2 tablespoons of tapioca help thicken the juices without making the filling taste floury.
• Put the pie plate on a baking sheet before it goes in the oven. Strawberry rhubarb filling loves to bubble over just when you are not watching.
• The pie slices best after it has cooled for several hours, but nobody is judging anyone for taking the first warm scoop with vanilla ice cream.

This is the kind of pie that looks homemade because it is homemade: a little rustic, a little messy, and completely worth it.