This pie is my husband’s favourite, and his most requested dessert. I make a version of this each summer for his birthday, which occurs at peak season for both fruits. Strawberries and rhubarb are a classic pairing, and for good reason. The sweet, jamminess of the strawberries balances the tartness of the rhubarb perfectly. Sprinkle with a brown sugar crumble topping and you have the perfect summer pie. Serve with a scoop of freshly churned vanilla ice cream. –Heather Hardcastle
Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble Pie
A recipe for classic strawberry and rhubarb pie from Heather Hardcastle of the famous Flour Craft Bakery.
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry Crust
- 2½ cups brown rice flour
- 1 cup millet flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 2 sticks cold butter cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup cold water plus more if needed
Crumble Topping
- 1½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1½ cups brown rice flour
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch
- 1¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup coconut oil melted
Pie
- 12 oz/1 round Sweet Pastry Crust
- 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and quartered
- ½ cups fresh rhubarb sliced into ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla paste
- 2 tbsp orange juice or orange liqueur
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1½ cups Crumble Topping
Instructions
Sweet Pastry Dough
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, pulse together brown rice flour, millet flour, tapioca starch, sugar, salt and xanthan gum a few times just to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse again until the butter is the size of small peas, about 30 seconds. Add eggs and continue pulsing until the dough begins to crumble, another 30 seconds or so. Add the cold water all at once and process until the dough comes together. Press the dough together with your fingers. If it holds together, there is no need for more water. If it still feels a bit crumbly, add additional cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough feels smooth and holds together well.
- Shape the dough into two 12-oz rounds. Wrap both in plastic wrap and store one round in the refrigerator (up to 3 days or the freezer up to 1 month).
Crumble Topping
- Put rolled oats, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, walnuts and cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss with your hands or a wooden spoon to combine. Add coconut oil and mix, using your hands or a wooden spoon, until the crumble mixture holds together in large clumps.
Pie
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Roll pastry dough between two pieces of plastic wrap into a 10-inch disk, 1⁄4 inch thick.
- To roll out the dough, remove the top piece of plastic wrap and, using the bottom piece of plastic to help lift the dough, invert the dough into the prepared pie pan. Gently press the crust down into the pan where the bottom meets the sides. Carefully remove the plastic wrap (now facing up) and use a paring knife to trim the edges of the dough so they’re even with the top of the pie pan. Crimp the edge of the pie using your favorite crimping design or score with the tines of a fork.
- Line your pie pan with parchment paper that is large enough to cover the bottom and sides. Fill the centre of the pie with weights or dried beans and blind bake for 15 minutes. While the crust is baking, make your filling.
- In a large bowl, toss together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, vanilla paste, orange liqueur and tapioca starch. Allow to macerate for 10 minutes until juices begin to release.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust and top with crumble topping. Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any spills as it tends to bubble up and over while baking. Bake the pie for 40–45 minutes until the filling is bubbling up around the sides and the top is evenly golden brown. It is important to make sure the filling is fully bubbling as the boiling will activate the tapioca starch and will help the filling to properly gel. Cool completely on a wire rack or chill in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
