Rhubarb Pie

One of my best-sellers right now is Rhubarb Pie jam.  Did we determine yet if I'm personally allowed to judge my own jam as sooooooo good?  Well it is, and of course the idea came from my neverendingly favorite kind of pie, which must be baked at least a few times during the height of the rhubarb season.

If you're not a pie-baker, don't be afraid to try this super-simple kind.  For real, it's easy.  You can do it.

When it comes to crust, if you're a pie-baking newbee, go ahead and get yourself a box of rolled up crust from the grocery store.  No one will know, and you won't tell anyone either.  When someone asks if you made the crust, you say, "Why yes, I did bake it."  You did.  Otherwise open up any recipe book to find a crust recipe you're comfortable with and go for it.    

In addition to the crust, you'll need:

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

5 cups rhubarb, cut up in 1/2 inch pieces.  Do NOT peel the rhubarb.

1 Tbs butter

Set your oven at 425.  Place one pastry in bottom of 9 or 10 inch pie plate.  Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Turn half the rhubarb into the pastry-lined plate and cover with half the sugar mixture.  Cover with the rest of the rhubarb, then the rest of the sugar mixture.  Drop little bits of the butter around the top of the sugar mixture.  You'll want to put slits or decorate small openings in the top crust before you cover your pie with it.  I usually put 4 little leaf-shaped holes around the pie, and an x-shaped slit in the middle.  Seal your crusts well and cut off excess pastry.  Oh, I almost forgot this very important part!  Beat an egg then paint it on the top of your crust.  Next sprinkle sugar or cinnamon-sugar on top of the egg.  You will not be sorry you added this step!  Next, I cover the entire pie with tin foil to avoid burning the crust, but it is important to put a large slit in the tin-foil where the middle of the pie is so your crust doesn't get soggy.  Keep the foil on for about half an hour before removing it, then baking your pie another 15 minutes.  You'll know the pie is done when juices starts bubbling through the slits in the crust.

Feel free to eat this pie for breakfast.  Joe and I have determined that it can't be less healthy than a muffin, and doesn't rhubarb look healthy?  It is!  You will love it.