Strawberry Rhubarb pie is not exactly an American original recipe but it sure is a classic. Here is TALL Blonde's three part tart with a Pecan nut crust instead of flour and a crispy, toasty streusel topping.
I made this in an 8-inch springform pan, because I am too cheap to go out and purchase a tart pan as this is my first attempt at this recipe. So if it did not turn out nicely all I wasted was the ingredients at the time of this post.
Obviously by now, it turned out well or this recipe would not be published. HA!
51 second 'HOW-TO' You Tube video
51 second 'HOW-TO' You Tube video
Pecan Nut Crust
8 oz, pecans pulverized in a food processor
1/4 cup white sugar
4 tsp. softened butter
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
1 egg white
Baking parchment cut to fit bottom of cake tin
Mix all ingredients.
Line bottom of cake tin with a sheet of parchment
Press nut mixture evenly into cake tin and crawl up the sides about 2 inches. Do not allow too much pecan mixture to over fill the bottom corners. Bake at 350-degrees for 15 minutes to set. Advisable to use pie weights to prevent puffing up. (I use dry white navy beans)
This is a gluten-free pie crust recipe to use on your other favorite pies.
Strawberry-Rhubarb filling
12 oz. rhubarb, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces (3 large stalks)
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, topped and quartered (9 large)
2 Tbl. vanilla sugar*
1 Tbl. flour
1/2 lemon, juiced
Stir well together.
Hold aside until streusel is made and ready to assemble. Just in case a pool of syrup collects at the bottom of the bowl and should be poured off before assembly.
Streusel
1 cup plain flour flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick salted butter, very cold (8 Tbls.)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
Cheese grater utensil
Cheese grater utensil
Put flour and sugar into a bowl. Use the large holes of a large cheese grater and grate butter into dry ingredients. Carefully stir butter pieces into flour keeping them separated and not clumped into a ball. Keep cold if you are not assembling tart right away.
Assemble
Preheat oven to 325 -degrees.
Pour off any liquid that may have pooled at the bottom of the rhubarb-strawberry mixture, if any.
Place all fruit into pecan crust cake tin, keeping fruit inside the crust and not overflowing over the top edge.
Take fistfuls of the flour-butter streusel mix and squeeze fists tight. Gently place these formed curds on top of the tart keeping the pieces in pea-size to marble-size pieces.
Place a sheet of foil on a baking sheet in case of over drip or leakage and bake for 1 hour. Keep an eye on the streusel that it does not burn too soon. If so, place a loose sheet of foil on top to shield and continue baking until you see some fruit bubbling through and the kitchen is sweetly fragrant. Leave in tin for at least 20 minutes before un-molding. Wait an hour before cutting so filling does not ooze out.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or stiffly beaten fresh whipped cream. I like to play with flavors and textures and plop a dollop of Marscapone Cheese or Creme Fraiche on the side.
The streusel recipe is a great "basic" to use on many desserts: French Apple Pie, Peach Crisp, or even Sweet Potato Casserole for Thanksgiving.
*Vanilla sugar can be made at home by placing 2 cups of granulated sugar from a 4 lb. bag of sugar in a food processor and 1 rough chop vanilla bean and process until vanilla bean is pulverized. Add back to 4 pound container and blend.
