Recipe Corner: Rhubarb Pie

My mom called last week to say that she was enjoying a slice of rhubarb pie and as she ate it she was reminded that we at la maison de Gilroy Glynn liked rhubarb pie and as a result of this she thought it best to call to tell us about her eating of said pie. Thanks, mom. The following day I went to the store and bought the required ingredients and the day after that I baked a rhubarb pie. Try it for yourself if you've never had rhubarb pie. It's fabulous. And really, what the hell else are you going to use rhubarb for?

Ingredients:
Pie Crust
8 ounces cream cheese (not reduced-fat) at room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pie Filling
1 1/2-2 lbs rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch half-moons (about 4 cups)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4-1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt

Directions:
Pie Crust
Using a hand-held mixer on low speed, mix the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Add the flour, sugar, and salt until the dough clumps together. The dough will look crumbly but will hold together when pressed. Divide the dough into two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. If the dough is refrigerated longer than an hour and becomes firm, allow the dough to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling out. On a lightly floured service, roll out the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick circle, using the larger of the two disks for the bottom of the pie crust, and place into a 9-inch pie plate. Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Roll out the second disk to form the top of the pie crust.

Pie Filling
Adjust the oven rake to the middle position and preheat the over to 350-degrees. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, flour, and salt to the eggs and mix thoroughly. Stir in the rhubarb until it is evenly coated with the egg mixture.

Pour the rhubarb pie filling into the pie plate. Top the pie filling with the second disk of dough. Fold the edges of the bottom crust with the edges of the top crust. Flute the edges, pinching the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Poke a few holes at the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Bake until the pie is a deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Rhubarb pie goes well with a side of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Serves 8