Spring Things

Cameras have been cleaned, spring has sprung, and I'm back. With rhubarb! I didn't intend to be away from this space for so long, but the photo clinic took a little longer than anticipated to give my old pentaxes a spit shine. It was totally worth it, btw, and they are looking better than they have in years.

In the mean time, it has been a busy spring round these parts: full of lots of fun freelance projects (including a little something that was published in the NYT!) and a new addiction/obsession (it's a fine line isn't it?) with making pottery. But now it is time to get back to business and the business at hand today is pies: little portable pies filled with the pinkest rhubarb I've ever bought at Union Square and crunchy apples that are perfect for all of your memorial day picnicking. I know it is already strawberry season in many parts of the country, but I just couldn't let May sneak by without posting at least one rhubarb recipe. If you are hankering for more rhubarb find LOTS more rhubarb recipes in the archives of this blog: here.

A few little notes:

Tim from Lottie and Doof wrote an A+ post about #normcore and how it relates to food issues (and lots more). Check it out here. Seriously, I can't recommend it enough.

For my film loving friends, I had my cameras cleaned and repaired at Nippon Photo Clinic in Manhattan. I highly recommend their services.

Rhubarb and Apple Hand pies

yield about 24, 3-inch pies

Rhubarb can tend to break down quite a bit when it is cooked, so I added some chopped apples to these little pies for texture and flavor. The other flavorings are quite simple, just a bit of lemon and vanilla, to let the fruit shine. Cooking the filling a bit before baking will help ensure that the filling stays inside the pies, instead of oozing out all over your baking sheet. There are a lot of pie crust recipes and techniques on this site, but this simple one is a new favorite. Make sure to handle the dough as little as possible for the most tender and flaky hand pies.

Crust

24 ounces all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
18 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
6-8 ounces ice cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in half of the butter until it is the size of peas, then cut in the other half until it is the size lima beans. Some of the butter will be completely worked into the flour, but you should have lots of visible pieces of butter in the dough too. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water and make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to mix the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems very dry, add more water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart. Press the dough together, then split it in half, form into discs and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using, or overnight.

Rhubarb and Apple Filling

1 pound rhubarb stalks
2 medium baking apples, mutsus work well here
1 vanilla bean
4-6 tablespoons sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
egg for egg wash
crunchy sugar such as turbinado or demerara for sprinkling

If your rhubarb has leaves attached remove them (they are inedible and poisonous) then chop the rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel the apples and chop them into slightly larger pieces.

Add the chopped rhubarb, 4 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, butter, and vanilla bean seeds and pod to a large skillet. Cook until the rhubarb has released most of its juices and the juices have thickened, about 7-10 minutes. The rhubarb should become jammy in texture.

Cool the mixture to room temperature, remove the vanilla bean pod then add the chopped apples and flour and stir to combine. Taste the mixture and if it seems too tart add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.

To Assemble the pies: Preheat oven to 400ºF. One at a time, roll each piece of chilled dough roughly 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a 3-inch circle cutter to cut as many circles as possible from the dough. Re-roll the scraps and cut more circles.

Put half of the circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly brush the edges of the dough with a beaten egg. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to each piece of dough, making sure that there is a small border of bare dough around the filling. Top each pie with another piece of dough and press the edges to seal well. Put the entire baking sheet in the freezer until the dough is firm, about 10 minutes.

Check to make sure all of the pies are well sealed. Brush the pies with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until deep golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Hand Pies and Pie Crust "Cookies"

I was in the midst of a serious bout with self doubt when I snapped this quick photo. I took just the one frame in case I wanted to share these little pies, right before I ran out the door to meet up with some of my favorite bloggers. There was a lot of hand wringing and ho-humming going on in Apt 2B as I finished up my treats that day and I apparently couldn't seem to focus myself or my camera. Were the hand pies I made as good as I hoped they would be? Were they flaky enough, sweet enough, too sweet, was the glaze too much, can I think of anything else to fret about before I leave the house? Was I just being a Nervous Nellie because I was about to walk into a room full of people I didn't "know"? Yes.



I was silly to doubt the power of a classic combination like rhubarb and strawberries. Especially when they are tucked into Brandi's magical pastry crust (that I have now adopted) with a healthy dose of citrus zest and a little fresh ginger for zip. So, I came to my senses, wrapped them up and hopped on a train to Long Island City where I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with some super ladies over delicious food and beverages at Veronica's gorgeous rooftop oasis. The evening was full of great conversation and food and it was so nice to meet Kasey, Kathryn, Sarah, Elizabeth, Kimberley, Nicole, Diana, Laura, Kristin, Barb and Cathy in person. Thanks for a great evening, gals! Hope you enjoyed the pies.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Hand Pies
yield, 15-18 3'' pies
I have to admit, these were kind of a pain in the ass to make, but they ended up being a big hit. So make sure you make them for some folks who will appreciate your hard work.

For the Crust

This crust comes to you from the talented Brandi Henderson of I made that! and The Pantry at Delancey where she teaches a class called "How to be a Pie Ninja" (among others) and she is not messing around, her recipes are killer. For her crust, Brandi uses a technique called fraisage which creates long sheets of buttery flakes throughout the dough instead of little pockets of butter. Delightful!

18 ounces pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces cold, unsalted butter
6-8 ounces ice water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar


1. Mix the flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot on a large cutting board or countertop.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the other half of the butter until it is the size of nickels.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water on to the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart.
4. Then, get this, you smear the butter into the dough. With the heel of your hand push a section of the dough down and away from you. Congratulations, you have just created a sheet of butter which is going to turn delicious flaky crust. Scrape the sheet off of the board and place it in a bowl to the side. Repeat until you have worked through all of the dough, pushing it down and away from you in sections. Once you've gone through all of the dough gently remove it from the bowl, press it together, then split it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into a disk. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using. I have warm hands, so I always chill my dough overnight before I use it.

If this sounds confusing, check out the link above for a really helpful photo tutorial.

For the Filling

4 ounces strawberries, cut into 1/4''-1/3'' cubes
5 ounces rhubarb, cut into 1/3'' cubes
1/2  ounce butter
2 ounces sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 ounce flour
pinch salt

1. In a medium skillet, combine the rhubarb, butter, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and the vanilla bean pod. Cook over medium low heat until the rhubarb begins to release it's juices, then turn the heat up to medium high. Cook the rhubarb until it is tender, but not falling apart about 5 minutes. Pour the rhubarb mixture along with it's juices to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
2. When the rhubarb is cool, remove the vanilla bean pod from the mixture. Combine the cooked rhubarb with the strawberries, zests, ginger, salt and flour. Stir gently to combine.

To Assemble and Bake

Pie Crust
Rhubarb and Strawberry Filling
Granulated Sugar for Sprinkling
1 egg for egg wash
2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400º

1. Remove one disk of dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rough circle about 1/4'' thick. Using a 3'' biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut the dough into as many rounds as you can. You should be able to get about 15 and each one will become a mini pie. Transfer the circles to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a few inches in between. Place the sheets in the fridge or freezer while you roll out the other half of the dough, reserve scraps. Roll and cut the other half of the dough.
2. Remove the cut circles from the refrigerator and brush the surfaces with egg wash. Top each circle with about 1 Tablespoon of the filling mixture, then top with one of the freshly rolled circles. If your filling seems really liquidy, focus on filling the pies with the solid fruit. If you have too much juice in the filling, your pies will be a mess and I speak from experience here. Carefully crimp the edges with a fork to seal completely and pop the pies back into the fridge or freezer for 30min to set.
3. Just before you are ready to bake the pies, brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle them with a bit of granulated sugar and poke a hole or two in the top of each pie for ventilation. Slide the sheets into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown. Don't under bake your pie crust people, especially when it is filled with juicy fruit! Cool slightly and glaze if desired. See below for an idea of what to do with your pastry scraps.

For the Glaze

8 ounces confectioner's sugar, sifted
juice from 1/2 an orange
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable, you may need to add a little more juice or confectioner's sugar for the perfect consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pies and let sit, undisturbed for 30 minutes to let the glaze harden slightly.

Pie Crust "Cookies"

Don't forget about your pie crust scraps! My mom used to bake up her pie crust scraps for me and my brother so we wouldn't whine about not being able to dig into whatever she was making before it was dessert time.

Take your reserved scraps, put them on a baking sheet, brush them with egg wash (or milk or water in a pinch), sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake until deep golden brown and crisp. They are a perfect little snack with tea or coffee and they are great with a bit of ice cream. Do it!

Rhubarb Custard Crumb Pie

Rhubarb is another one of the foods that I've come to love and appreciate a bit later in life. Growing up, we had a huge rhubarb plant that grew by the side of our house, but I can't remember ever eating any of it. I always just admired it's huge leaves and rosy stalks. If you look back in the Apt. 2B archives you may notice last year around this time I had it pretty hot and heavy for the Barb (what, you don't have nicknames for your favorite produce)?



When I was in Seattle a few months ago visiting family my mom had to restrain me from "borrowing" a few stalks from a neighborhood plant when I realized the one that used to grow in our yard was long, long gone. Don't worry, I'd never actually take anyone's produce without asking, but I admit to being temporarily blinded by my rhubarb lust. It's a good thing that rhubarb season was gearing into full swing by the time I got back to New York.



So, I picked up a few pounds of the Barb at the Greenmarket and used half for this tart and the other half for this creamy and crunchy custard pie that I will definitely be making again as more fruit comes into season. Although, my mom just told me about the strawberry tart with rhubarb glaze she's been making this Spring so that may just have to be next...

Are you a rhubarb lover too?

More rhubarb recipes from this blog can be found HERE.
More rhubarb recipes from BBC Good Food can be found HERE.

Have a great weekend everyone!


Rhubarb Custard Crumb Pie


For the Rye Pastry
adapted from Kim Boyce's, Good to the Grain
yield, pastry for 1 large rustic tart or a single crust pie

I won't lie, the rye pastry takes a bit of work to put together but man is it good. It's my new favorite base for fruit desserts, but feel free to sub in your favorite pie crust here if you aren't feeling the rye.

4.5 ounces rye flour
4.5 ounces all purpose flour
1/8 ounce salt
1/2 ounce sugar
6 ounces cold butter cut into chunks
4 ounces ice water (may need a little less or more than this)
1t apple cider vinegar

1. In a large bowl, mix the flours, salt and sugar together. Add in the butter and quickly rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers. You want the butter to break up into small pieces the size of peas to lima beans.
2. Combine the water and apple cider vinegar in a measuring sup. Make a well in the flour/butter mixture and slowly stream the water into the dough while mixing gently. Mix until the water is evenly distributed and the dough holds together when you squeeze it. It will look dry, and that's okay, just as long as it holds together when you squeeze it. If it is too dry, add a bit more water.
3. Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, gather the wrap tightly around the dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour or overnight.
4. After it has chilled, unwrap the dough and place it onto a lightly floured board. Pat the dough into a rough square, then roll it into an 8'' x 11'' rectangle. The dough will be a bit rough and crumbly and that's okay! With the long side of the dough facing you, gently fold the dough into thirds. Then turn the dough so the seam is at the top and parallel to your body. Repeat this process 2 more times then wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before using.
5. Preheat your oven to 375º. Roll the crust out into a 13'' circle about 1/4'' thick. Line a 9'' pie pan with the dough and crimp the edges in a decorative pattern. If the dough seems at all soft, pop it into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes then proceed.
6. Line the crust with a sheet of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights. I use beans or rice as pie weights. Slide it into the oven and bake until the edges begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Then remove the weights and bake until all of the pastry is golden brown and no longer raw, 15-20 more minutes. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.

For the Filling
I turned to the fine folks at BBC Good Food for this recipe because I heard that Brits knew what they were doing when it came to rhubarb. They called this pie an irresistible combination of two classic puds and they were right!

12 ounces rhubarb, diced into 1/4''-1/2'' cubes
3.5 ounces sugar
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
.25 ounces or 1T flour
1/2 vanilla bean scraped or 1T vanilla extract
9.5 ounces heavy cream
pinch salt

For the Crumb Topping
adapted from BBC Good Food

For the pie pictured I used leftover crumb topping from this recipe that I had stored in the freezer, but here is a quick and easy formula for a crumb topping that will also work great.

2 ounces melted butter
2 ounces brown sugar
2 ounces oats (or combination of oats and chopped nuts)
pinch salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and set aside until needed.

To Assemble and Bake the Pie

1. Add the rhubarb and half of the sugar to a medium skillet. Warm the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture into a bowl to cool while you prepare the custard.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg and egg yolk, remaining sugar, vanilla or vanilla bean seeds, salt, and flour. Then whisk in the cream with any juices that have accumulated in the rhubarb bowl.
3. Spoon the diced rhubarb into the prepared crust and gently pour the custard over the top. Bake at 400º for 15-20 minutes or until the custard has just barely begun to set.
4. Remove the pie from the oven and turn up the heat to 425º. Gently spread your crumble over the top, slide the pie back into the oven and bake until the custard has set and the topping has browned, about 15 minutes. The custard may have risen and cracked a bit in the oven, but that's okay, it will settle back down as it cools. Serve warm, no accompaniment necessary, but ice cream is always nice with pie, isn't it?

Spring Firsts and a Rhubarb Pie

I love these first days of Spring when we all start to shake off the chill of winter and stretch our limbs towards the sun. Every week more flowers pop open, trees get their leaves back after months of naked branches, and I watch as my lucky neighbors sweep off their patios and start replanting their tiny city gardens. One of the things that surprises me most about living on the East Coast is how much I have grown to enjoy the seasons and the transitions that come with them.



This weekend marked a lot of Spring firsts. My first bbq of the season, my first rooftop cocktails, my first subway ride home when I smelled charcoal smoke in my hair and on my skin. I'm sure it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone when I say that the first pie of the season tops my list of favorites.



While I made this pie last Sunday, I practically vibrated with excitement at the thought of eating it outside with the sun shining on my face. Add to that the novelty of trying out a new mixing technique in my quest to improve my pie crust and my favorite vegetable disguised as fruit and you've got my dream day all wrapped up.



I am happy to report that this pie was as revolutionary as I hoped it would be. It was so tart and flaky and lightly vanilla scented that alternate titles I considered for this post included: We Don't Need no Stinking Strawberries, I am a Pie Ninja, and Holy Shit, This Is The Best Pie I've Ever Made. That last one was the exact phrase that popped out of my mouth when I pulled the bubbling beaut out of the oven. I didn't even have to taste it to know.



I wrapped it up in a big cloth tied at the top and proudly carried it  on the train to its rightful resting place: a rooftop picnic table full of friends in the sunshine, with a view of the city in the distance.

For the Crust

This crust comes to you from Brandi Henderson of I made that! and The Pantry at Delancey where she teaches a class called "How to be a Pie Ninja" and she is not messing around. Brandi uses a technique called fraisage which creates long sheets of buttery flakes throughout the dough instead of little pockets of butter. Delightful!

12 oz pastry flour
8 oz cold butter
4 oz ice water
1/2t salt

1. Mix the flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot on a large cutting board or countertop.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the other half of the butter until it is the size of quarters.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water on to the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart.
4. Then, get this, you smear the butter into the dough. With the heel of your hand push a section of the dough down and away from you. Congratulations, you have just created a sheet of butter which is going to turn delicious flaky crust. Scrape your sheet off of the board and place it in a bowl to the side. Repeat until you have worked through all of the dough, pushing it down and away from you in sections. Once you've gone through all of the dough gently remove it from the bowl, press it together, then split it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into a disk. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using. I chilled mine overnight.

If this sounds confusing, check out the link above for a really helpful photo tutorial.

For the Filling

20 oz of rhubarb (about 5 slightly heaping cups), chopped into 1/2'' pieces (if your rhubarb is tough or stringy, remove the strings by pulling them down the stalk)
11.5 oz sugar
2.25 oz flour
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1t orange zest
big pinch salt

For the Topping

1 egg, beaten
A few tablespoons of coarse sugar like turbinado or light demerara

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 450º

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it into a 9'' pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie.
2. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
3. In a large bowl, rub the vanilla bean seeds and orange zest into the sugar to evenly distribute. Add in the rhubarb, vanilla/zesty sugar, flour, and salt and toss to combine evenly. Fill the prepared pie shell with the rhubarb mixture and top with the second crust, crimp the edges and cut a few vents. Alternately, you can top the pie with a lattice-style crust as I've done in the photos above. Here is a link to a great photo tutorial on Simply Recipes. When I make a lattice topped pie, I like to use nice thick strips of dough, so the one's pictured above are about 1'' wide.
4. If the crust seems soft or warm, slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15min before you bake it. When you are ready to bake brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and sprinkle with a healthy dose of coarse sugar.
5. Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15min on the lowest rack of your oven, then lower the oven temp to 350º and bake for 40-50min or until the crust is deep golden brown and the rhubarb juices bubble. Cool at least 2 hours before serving.




Thanks to Shawn for the shot of me holding the pie and to Ellie for the Holga shot on the bottom left.