Tried & True Tuesday: Crumb-topped Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

. Whoop, whoop!  It's that time of the year again!  And no, I'm not talking about Christmas.

It's rhubarb season!  And I've been waiting for this since the end of the LAST rhubarb season!  For me, the season actually began the moment I laid my eyes on a HUGE bundle of rhubarb at the Omaha Farmer's Market this last weekend.  It was a sight for sore eyes, let me tell you.  I had a hunch that I would see my first rhubarb bundle soon but I went to the farmer's market trying to not get my hopes up.  But there it was: big, thick, and pinky-red.  There are some [big] plans for that bundle of rhubarb though, so we'll come back to it later this week.

But to kick of rhubarb season [and continue my current obsession with strawberry season], I'm posting a recipe near and dear to my heart.  Crumb-topped Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is actually my very first [and only, tear] recipe to be published on AllRecipes.com!  And if you've ever tried to submit a recipe there, you know how picky selective they are!  So I was more than elated when I got that e-mail saying my recipe was official.

This pie is just absolutely fabulous [and it was published on AllRecipes.com, so there].  It begins with a homemade [and super easy!] pie crust.  The crust is then filled with a heaping mound of strawberries, rhubarb and pecans, along with a wonderful mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg.  Oo, that set of spices does it for me!  Then, to top this treat off (literally), a thick layer of a classic streusel is placed all over the filling.  After baking, the filling really cooks down into a gooey loveliness of sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb.  And boy, the cinnamon and nutmeg aroma wandering through your house?  Irresistible.

Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did!  And don't forget to leave a comment if you ever try out any of these recipes, I love to hear about it! .

Crumb-topped Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Don't let the ugly picture fool you, this pie is an amazing spring/summer goodie!

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 c. all purpose flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1/3 c. cold butter

3 to 4 tbsp. cold water

Filling:

1-1/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 c. fresh rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

2 c. strawberries, sliced

1/3 c. pecans, chopped (optional)

Topping:

1 c. all purpose flour

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. cold butter

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.  For crust, combine flour and salt in large bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in enough water with fork just until flour is moistened.  Shape into ball; flatten slightly.  Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle.  Fold into quarters.  Place dough into 9-inch pie pan; unfold crust and press firmly against pan. Trim crust to 1/2-inch from edge of pan; crimp edges.  
2. For filling, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, in large bowl.  Add rhubarb and strawberries; toss until well coated.  Spoon into prepared crust; sprinkle with chopped pecans.  
3. For topping, combine flour and sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle mixture over filling.  Cover edge of crust with 2-inch strip of aluminum foil or pie crust shield.  Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until topping is brown and filling is bubbling around the edges (remove foil for last 10 minutes).  

Yield: 8 servings