[Cook it] Pie, everyone loves pie!

I love pies.

Plus I have a new appreciation of making pastry from scratch ever since I came across Smitten Kitchen. Such an awesome food blog that has a fabulous recipe index so that you can search for a particular recipe based on a fruit or a vegetable (amongst other categories, go check it out!)

So if you have a couple of punnets of strawberries in the fridge and  a yearning to bake something, this is your website.

As a bonus, the photography is beautiful. There is also a Smitten Kitchen cookbook which I have and quite admire, but I find myself going back to the website more often.

I have attempted this recipe a few times with a few different variations. The cherry pie is delicious when cherries are in season, but the strawberry and rhubarb has to be a favourite. The cooked strawberries taste like little balls of toffee in your mouth. Delish.

Here is the Strawberry Rhubarb pie recipe along with the pastry recipe.

The only changes that I made, despite the advice not to, is that I use a food processor to make the pastry, I really don't have the patience  to make it any other way!

With the Rhubarb and Strawberry filling I don't use tapioca (as I never have it in the pantry) so instead I used 3-4 tablespoons of cornflour.

Here are some pictures of the steps below, especially the pastry texture as that can be a little hard to master!



Make sure you have all your ingredients measured (and the butter chilled) ready to go.



Pop all the ingredients (bar the water) in the food processer until the butter is in pea sized pieces.



Add the chilled water sparingly, I used about 125ml.



It should look like this when finished processing, the little butter chunks are a good sign.



When I rest it to chill I try and flatten into a disc shape as much as I can (saves rolling later!)




Wrap in plastic and chill in fridge for at least 1/2 hr or until needed.




Chop up this delicious fruit that looks like it is smiling at you.



Put fruit and remaining ingredients in a bowl.




Fill pie to overflowing



Roll out pastry to around 4mm thickness within 2 pieces of non-stick paper and place in pie dish.

 

In a very amateur manner (after watching a few youtube vids) create a rough lattice pattern.





Cook and voila! (Unlike me, maybe place a tray under the pie dish to catch any rogue juices!)

It isn't picture perfect, but tasted delicious!