May – Rhubarb Custard Pie

When we started making our 11” porcelain Ibis Pie Plates back in 1979, we sold them at a number of craft fairs. We put out a stack of free recipe cards in our display for “Knock-Your-Socks-Off Rhubarb Custard Pie”, figuring that anything this good should be shared. The result was that we sold a lot of pie plates, and single-handedly started a run on rhubarb in Worcester, Massachusetts. This is the famous recipe.

Note: You will need to use a large pie plate. The 11” Ibis Pie Plate that we used to make is unavailable, so use the closest approximation you can. You will just wind up with a thicker pie. You also might want to put a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven to catch drips.

1 recipe Basic Pie Crust
4 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces, about 1 pound
OR unsweetened frozen rhubarb
2 “large” eggs
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups sugar, depending on your sweet tooth
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons neutral oil (not olive oil)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Line a pie plate with one half of the pie crust, allowing the edges to drape over the rim. Prick the entire surface with a fork.

Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Now take a pastry brush and dip it into the egg white. Paint the bottom crust with the egg white.

Beat the eggs until they are light. Beat in the sugar, flour, oil, and vanilla. Stir in the pieces of rhubarb. If you are using frozen rhubarb, it doesn’t have to be fully defrosted when you add it to the filling. Just be sure that the pieces are separated and not frozen together in a block.

Pour the filling into the prepared pan, cover with the top crust and fold up the edges to seal in the juices. Crimp the edges decoratively if you like. Cut steam vents in the top crust.

Bake at 410° in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350° and bake about an additional 40 – 50 minutes*. The pie should be well browned, and the juices should bubble up through the steam vents. If you are using frozen rhubarb, it will take a little longer for the pie to bake.

This pie is good hot from the oven, warm, room temperature or cold. Just be sure to refrigerate any uneaten portion, since the filling does contain eggs.

*Note: Baking time will also vary depending on the pie plate you use. Pyrex and ceramic dishes take longer than do metal pans.