To celebrate the beginning of one of the hottest summers in recent memory, I decided to make a pie – a raspberry-rhubarb pie! I know it’s untraditional, but why not? It was a spectacular success, so I’m sharing my new invention with you to enjoy as well! Don’t be daunted by the crust – it’s not as hard as it looks and I even have a video to help you through making a pie crust.

The first step in this pie recipe is to prepare the crust. This recipe makes two 9-10 inch crusts, and is wonderful for fruit pies like this one. I rely on shortening for my crusts to help them hold together better, but I like to substitute 2-3 tablespoons of shortening in this recipe with some Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks -non-dairy- (or butter) for extra flakiness. The key with pie crusts is to let the dough rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling out. I use a pastry mat and dust it and my rolling pin with my flour so there is no gritty residue on my yummy crust! Check out my video to walk you through how to make a pie crust for more instructions! (note: the video shows how to make a single crust — this recipe is doubled)

For an even easier pie method, have a look at my Rustic Pie Crust - a one-crust fruit pie that takes all the fuss out of homemade pie making!

Crust Ingredients (makes 2 crusts):

• 2 cups Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening, butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks/Shortening)
• 4 – 6 tablespoons cold water
• 1 egg, beaten (or milk of choice)

Crust Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening using two knives or a pastry cutter until it resembles a fine meal. Add the water gradually to make the consistency you need to form a ball – err on the side of it being wetter rather than crumbly, but only add enough to hold the dough together in a firm ball. Divide the dough in half and form two flattened disc shapes; wrap in plastic wrap and set aside on the counter for 30 minutes while you make your filling.

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 cups rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cups fresh raspberries (or strawberries, halved)
• 1/4 cup Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• demerara sugar or granulated sugar to sprinkle on top

Filling Directions:

In a large bowl, stir to combine all filling ingredients. Set aside while rolling out crust pastries.

Pie Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° F.

After allowing the dough to rest, roll the pastry out onto a surface dusted with Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour. A flexible pastry sheet (e.g. Silpat) for that purpose works well. Roll to a diameter at least 1 inch larger than the diameter of your pie pan. Gently lift an edge of the rolled out crust using a butter knife or bench scraper. Lay the edge over your rolling pin so that it is supported by the rolling pin as you lift the crust onto your pie plate. Gently pat into shape and allow the excess crust to lay over the edge of the pie plate until the top crust is finished.

To cover with a whole top crust, lift the crust and lay on top of the filled pie plate, sealing the edges with the bottom crust, then fluting with your fingers or the blunt end of a knife handle. Be sure to cut several slits in the top crust to vent it during baking – the fruit will bubble up and steam as it cooks and needs some places to escape!

To make a lattice crust (as pictured at top), cut the rolled dough into 8-10 strips. Lay 4-5 strips, evenly spaced, across the top of the pie in one direction, then lay the remaining strips in the opposite direction on top. Where possible, lift every other strip and layer the opposite strip underneath, forming a woven design (this step is not essential). Trim ends and fold all crust edges over, pressing to seal. Flute or crimp edges for a decorative finish.

Line the oven shelf below the crust with aluminum foil to prevent dripping into the oven. Cover crust edges with foil or pie crust saver to shield crust. Brush the crust with beaten egg or milk of choice to help brown the crust as it bakes. Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes; brush top with egg wash again. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F and bake for another 35-45 minutes, until filling is thickened and bubbly and the crust is lightly browned (if crust is browning too much, replace the foil or pie crust saver). Turn off oven, open oven door, sprinkle pie with sugar, then allow the pie to cool slowly in the cooling oven. Serve warm with or without ice cream.