Easy Rhubarb-Cherry Pie

This pie was baked by my 14-year-old son. He made the dough, mixed a filling of tart rhubarb and sweet cherries, and then he created the lattice. I sat back, trying not to take over, and just watched in amazement as he figured it all out. It was a thing of beauty to see him moving so confidently in the kitchen and his pie, well you can see for yourself, the kid has skill. I was in heaven. There is nothing sweeter than a kid in the kitchen and especially when he's baking my favorite pie.

Rhubarb-Cherry Pie Recipe
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 4 hours (includes chilling and cooling time)
Skill: Easy as pie
Ingredients:

The crust:
(makes two 12-inch galettes)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (scoop and sweep the flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and refrigerated
4 ounces lard, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and frozen
1 egg
5 1/2 tablespoons ice-cold water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
6 cups rhubarb, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cherries or raspberries

1 1/2 cups sugar (our pie was pretty tart, so add more if you like it sweet), plus more for sprinkling over the top

4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water)

To make the crust: Have all of your ingredients ready and chilled. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and lard. Use the food processor to work the butter and lard into the flour. Work the fats into the flour until it starts to stick together when squeezed, but you want to keep some of the fat in pea-size pieces. If it is too soft and it won't stay in pieces, place the bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then try again.

Whisk the egg, add it along with the water and vinegar to the flour/lard mixture. Stir this with your hand or a wooden spoon, but be very gentle. The goal is to keep the pea-size chunks of fat intact. It will start to look shaggy and not dry. It should hold together when you squeeze it in your hand. Gently knead the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into two pieces and create round disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F with the rack on the bottom shelf.

In a large bowl, toss together the rhubarb, cherries, sugar, cornstarch and spices. Roll out one of the circles of dough and drape it into the pie plate. Place the filling in the pie shell. Break the butter up into several pieces and put it over the filling.

Weave the lattice over the top. Crimp the edges. Brush the top with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with sugar.

Place the pie on a baking sheet, just in case the juices bubble over.

Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, bake until the juices are bubbling and translucent, and the fruit is very soft. This can take up to 1 1/2 hours. If the top crust starts to get too much color, tent the pie loosely with foil.

Allow the pie to cool so the juices set enough to cut the pie.

Enjoy with ice cream.

Zoë François, author of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day  and Artisan Pizza and Flatbreads in 5 Minutes a Day , studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She now calls Minneapolis her home, where she has worked with some of the top talent in the culinary world — Steven Brown, Andrew Zimmern and many chefs at the D’Amico company. In addition to writing, Zoë teaches baking classes and consults at restaurants. You can find her writing and recipe creations on Devour, on her baking blog, zoebakes.com and on the site, www.breadin5.com.

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