Rhubarb Pie from Stardew Valley

Mmm, tangy and sweet!⁠—Stardew Valley item description

Dear neighbor,

When I’m not taking care of animals I like to experiment in the kitchen. Since we’ve become friends I want to share some recipes with you.

I hope you like this!

⁠—Marnie

We’re still in the middle of rhubarb season (at least in New England), so now is the perfect time to use it up while we still can.

Enter this perfect rhubarb pie. The method for the filling may be unusual—most recipes recommend maceration to control juiciness and soften fruit—but it works! And well! And consistently! The chopped rhubarb is layered between the sweetening and thickening mix. This keeps the crust crispy and flaky, while the rhubarb filling remains thick and jammy. It’s not hard to imagine why Maru and Jodi love this sweet and sour treat. (And thank Marnie once she sends the recipe to you, as her experiments in the kitchen are clearly paying off.)

You are absolutely welcome to use premade pie crusts if you want a faster and easier pie, but if you’ve never made your own pie crust this is a good place to start. And don’t get rid of the ground ginger in the filling completely: if you want a more subtle flavor, reduce it to ¾ teaspoon or 1 teaspoon. Ginger complements rhubarb too well to leave it out.

With those notes in hand, go forth and make this pie! And don’t forget to serve it with something creamy like oh, say, homemade ice cream.

Makes 1 pie; serves 8

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 ⅔ cup all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon sugar

14 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

2 egg yolks (save the egg whites)

4-6 tablespoons cold water

 

For the filling:

1 ⅓ lb fresh rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

1 ⅓ cup white sugar

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

Salt, to taste

 

To finish:

Remaining egg whites, for garnish

Raw sugar, for garnish 

Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or vanilla custard for serving

 

Instructions:

For the crust:

1. In a food processor or bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, salt, and sugar.  Mix briefly to combine.
2. Add in cubed unsalted butter while still cold.  Pulse or mix using the paddle attachment until crumbs form or butter pieces become roughly the size of peas.
3. Mix together the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of cold water.  Add to the flour-butter mixture and pulse or mix until a dough forms.  If dough isn’t coming together, gently add water 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Dough will be ready when you can pinch it together between your fingers.  This can happen quickly, so check often! When done, bring dough together into 2 discs, wrap them in cling film, and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 1-2 days.  This allows the gluten to relax and make the pie dough easier to roll out.
5. When done, roll out 1 disc onto a lightly floured surface to roughly ¼ inch thick.  Pull it back over the rolling pin and drape over a 10-inch pie plate, gently tucking the dough into the crease at the bottom. If it breaks a little you can try to patch it.

For the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine sugar, flour, ground ginger, and salt.  Sprinkle ¼ of the mixture over the bottom of the pie dough sitting in the pie plate.
3. Heap the rhubarb into the dough-lined pie plate.  Spread as evenly as possible.
4. Top the rhubarb with the remaining flour, sugar, and ginger.  Roll out the second dough disc on a lightly floured surface about ¼ inch thick and then cover the pie filling with it.

To finish:

1. Trim excess pie dough from the edges, then crimp and/or decorate pie as desired.  Cut 5 slits in the top of the pie dough in the shape of a star to let steam escape.
2. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg whites, then sprinkle the raw sugar over the top of the dough.
3. Place the pie on the lowest rack in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for 40-45 minutes until crust is golden and filling is soft and thick.
4. Let sit for at least 5-10 minutes to allow filling to firm up slightly, then serve warm or cold with ice cream, whipped cream, or custard as desired.

 

Interested in more geeky sweets from your favorite franchises?  Leave a comment to let me know which ones and consider joining my Patreon!