The food choices that I make now are definitely influenced by the kinds of foods that I ate growing up. For example, my mom rarely/never cooked anything with onions and even as an adult I don’t like onions. Maybe it’s because I never acquired a taste for them or maybe it’s genetic that I don’t like onions ;). I think my mother may have misled me on rhubarb though. I remember her talking about how rhubarb pie looked like “snot pie”. Obviously after that I never wanted to try rhubarb and so I didn’t. Until I started seeing all kinds of rhubarb recipes and decided that maybe I should give it another chance. I’m so glad I did too because I had been missing out! I was more than a little skeptical after I tasted a small piece of uncooked rhubarb, which apparently you aren’t supposed to eat because it’s poisonous…rookie mistake, although after I read about it online I think it’s only the leaves that are poisonous and not the stalk (?). Cooked rhubarb doesn’t have a strong taste – especially when it’s mixed with other fruits – but adds a delicious tart, acidic flavor which I loved. I’ll definitely be experimenting with rhubarb some more this spring – yum! Enjoy!
Raspberry Rhubarb Slab Pie
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup plus 1 to 2 tbsp milk
1 egg yolk
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
5 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thaw if using frozen (I used frozen)
3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
1-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
5 to 6 tsp milk
1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Whisk 3/4 cup milk and egg yolk; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary.
2. Divide dough in half so that one portion is slightly larger than the other; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
3. Roll out larger portion of dough on lightly floured surface into an 18-in. x 13-in. rectangle. Transfer to an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of pan; trim pastry to edges of pan.
4. In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add raspberries and rhubarb; toss to coat. Spoon into pastry.
5. Roll out remaining dough; place over filling. Fold bottom pastry over edge of top pastry; seal with a fork. Prick top with a fork.
6. Bake at 375° for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
7. For icing, combine confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency; drizzle over pie. Cut pie into 24 squares.
*adapted from Taste of Home
Nutritional Info (per 1/24th): 247 calories; 8 g fat; 42 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 3 g protein.
