Last week-end, some friends of mine invited us for an unforgettable dinner. Everything was perfect. My favorite moment was without any doubt the dessert: a sumptious rhubarb pie!
I couldn’t resist and asked her for the recipe. Actually, it was the Alsatian version of the rhubarb pie. Exactly the same I spent all my childhood eating!
Rhubarb pie is one of the most popular dessert in Alsace, a region located in the East of France bording Germany. Rhubarb pie is an essential dessert there, being quite an institution! People love it generoulsy filled with a creamy preparation made with eggs, sugar and cream. The smelting contrast between acidity and sweetness is just amazing.
Last but not least, rhubarb is rich in fibers, vitamin C and antioxydants and is excellent for the transit.
Alsatian rhubarb pie recipe
For 1 large pie (8 servings)
Timing
- Preparation: 30 minutes
- Waiting time: 2 hours
- Total: 2h30
Ingredients
- one sweet shortcrust pastry
- 1.76 lb (800g) rhubarb
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (25 cl) liquid whole cream
- 4.23 oz (120g) sugar + 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- Vanilla extract (or 1 sachet vanilla sugar)
- Optional: icing sugar (for decorating rhubarb pie)
Instructions
- Prepare the shortcrust pastry and leave it for at least 2 hours in fridge
- Peel the rhubarb and cut it into strips of about 0.4 to 0.8 inches (1 to 2 cm)
- Mix the rhubarb with 4 tablespoons of sugar into a bowl. Let macerate for about one to two hours in the fridge (cover with plastic wrap)
- Drain the rhubarb into a strainer
- Preheat the oven to 372°F (180°C)
- Roll out dough to 0.12 inches (3 mm) thickness on a bake parchment paper
- Lay the pastry into a pie pan
- Combine together into a bowl two beaten eggs and the sugar. Then add the cream, the corn starch and vanilla. Mix well.
- Divide the rhubarb on the pastry and generously cover with the cream preparation
- Bake in oven for about 45 minutes (372°F i.e.180°C)
- Out of oven, let cool for about 10 minutes before removing the pie from the pan
- Let cool on a rack
- Optional: decorate the rhubarb pie with icing sugar
- Enjoy!
Meringue rhubarb pie variant
This variant is an adaptation from the blog: https://www.jevaisvouscuisiner.com/
It’s a very nice cooking blog dedicated to recipes coming from Alsace (in the East of France) written by Leïla Martin.
Ingredients for meringue
- 300g icing sugar
- 300g egg whites (about 8 eggs)
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare the recipe of rhubarb pie: shortcrust pastry , sweet marinated rhubarb and creamy preparation (see above)
- Whisk the whites up to firm peaks with a pinch of salt
- Add the sugar and keep whisking a little bit longer
- Preheat oven to 430°T (220°C)
- Prick pastry all over with a fork
- Cover with rhubarb and bake for 25 minutes
- Add the creamy preparation
- Reduce heat to 372°F (180°C) and bake for another 20 minutes
- Out of oven, let cool for about 5 minutes and decorate with meringue (use a piping bag)
- Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes
- Let cool and enjoy!
