Mary Ann's Blog
Rhubarb and Fig Pie!
June 21, 2010
It’s rhubarb season, and you either love it or hate it!
I can’t get enough of it, and my favorite dessert is rhubarb and dried fig pie! The combination is fantastic and you must try it, just once. The dough is easy to make in a food processor, and you can prepare the rhubarb filling a day ahead of time.
Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you’ll forget all your troubles.
The best pies are made in glass pie plates like Pyrex.
Serves 8
Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits
8 tablespoons Crisco shortening
Grated zest of 1 lemon
5-6 tablespoons ice water
FILLING
1 1/4 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
8 dried figs stemmed, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor or in a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and shortening and pulse, or cut in with a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add, lemon zest, and pulse for a couple of seconds. Add the water slowly through the feed tube using a little at a time until the dough begins to come together. Do not overprocess. You should be able to see bits of butter in the dough. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place the rhubarb in 2 quart saucepan. In a bowl combine the sugar and cornstarch, then add to the rhubarb. Slowly add the water and stir to combine ingredients. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the figs and lemon juice.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, and water. Cook, stirring, over low heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the figs and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate at least a couple of hours or make the filling the day before.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half into a 12-inch round and fit it into the pie pan.
Spoon the filling evenly into the pan. Roll out the second half of dough and fit it over the filling. Trim the edges and use your fingers to pinch the edges closed or use a fork to make tines all around the dough .
Use trimmings to make a decorative design on the pie like stars or flowers.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the pie is nicely browned on top and bottom. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a rack. Cut into wedges to serve.
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