My Aunt Alice’s old friend Betty Palmer, who was baking pies well into her 80s, gave us this recipe for Rhubarb Custard Pie. It’s not all that attractive, but it’s easy to make and very tasty.
It’s May and spring has finally arrived! One of the first signs that it’s really spring is when fresh rhubarb shows up at the grocery stores and farm stands. Looking like overgrown, red-coated celery, rhubarb makes a wonderful pie.
My mother always thought Betty Palmer’s Rhubarb Custard Pie was ugly, but I find the bits of rhubarb poking up through the custard both attractive and appetizing.
It’s a tasty pie, in which the creamy custard complements the tangy rhubarb. And it’s simple to make. So celebrate spring with Rhubarb Custard Pie!
Ingredients
9-inch unbaked pie crust
4 cups rhubarb
1- 1/4 cups sugar
1- 1/4 TB flour
Dash of salt
3 eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Wash and slice rhubarb and put into unbaked pie crust. I don’t use a peeler on the rhubarb, but I do pull off the “strings” so there are no loose bits. Leaving on some of the peel keeps the attractive red color.
Mix sugar, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs and add to flour mixture. Mix well and pour over rhubarb in pie crust.
Bake at 350°F about 50-55 minutes until set. Cool before serving.
Tips from Jane
— As with many of these old recipes, the original said, “bake at 350°F till done.” 50-55 minutes seems to do it, but since ovens may vary you may need to decrease or increase cooking time slightly. I’d check it after about 45 minutes.
— I sometimes warm the crust in the oven for about five minutes before adding the filling. This may help avoid a soggy crust.
— You’ll want to refrigerate any leftover pie because of the eggs and milk in it.