Strawberry picking and a recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb pie with Grand Marnier

It's that time of year, people! Strawberry season. Nothing beats the sweetness and juiciness of in-season fruit that puts the stuff that you get the rest of the year from the grocery store to shame. And just outside of the GTA there are TONS of amazing farms that would absolutely love to have you pop by and pick some fresh, sun-warmed strawberries. And the best part? If it's in season, that means it's relatively cheap! If you like jam, or pie, or any other amazing, strawberry-filled treat, now is the time to get on the seasonal bandwagon and get your paws on some strawberries immediately!


I had the pleasure of visiting Andrew's Scenic Acres over the weekend and it was absolutely lovely. It's an easy 40 minute drive from Toronto and located at 9365 10th Sideroad, Halton Hills, Ontario,- I highly recommend a visit! The people working there were friendly, the weather was lovely, the surrounding visitors were jovial and the strawberries were AMAZING. Get on it in the next two weeks or so while they're ripe for the picking.



But lets get to the good stuff: Pie. How do I love pie? Oh, let me count the ways:
1. Nostalgically comforting2. Delicious3. Crowd-pleaser4. Freezes like a dream. That's right,- you can pick a bunch of strawberries in season, make a ton of pies and enjoy them all-year round!

Do yourself a favour and try my recipe for  Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie with just a hint of Grand Marnier and citrus. Yepp, that just happened.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie with Grand Marnier and Citrus


Yield: 1 deep-dish 9-inch pie Time required: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled and chopped into quarters (5 cups)
  • 1 pound rhubarb, sliced 1/4 inch thick (3 cups)
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • zest of 1/2 of an orange
  • 2 tbsp Grand Marnier
  • Pinch of salt
  • Double crust recipe of pie dough
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and position the rack in the middle of the oven.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, Grand Marnier and salt.

3. On a floured surface, roll out half of your pie dough to about an eighth of an inch thickness, making sure to rotate the dough circle occasionally during the process to ensure that it isn't sticking to the floured surface. After rolling out to approximately 13 inches across, lift the dough gently by draping it across your rolling pin and fit it within a 9 inch pie pan. Leave the overhang for now!

4. Spoon the filling into the pie pan and moisten the edges and overhang lightly with water.

5. Roll out the other half of your pie dough to approximately the same size, being careful again that it doesn't stick to the floured surface below. Gently place over the top of the filled pie using your rolling pin as a vehicle to prevent tearing. Cut the overhang to approximately half of an inch, fold it under itself and crimp the crust to your heart's content. Make a few slits in the top of the pie so that steam can escape and decorate it however you like.

6. Cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Place the pie pan on a parchment-paper lined tray (in case the filling bubbles over during baking) and bake in the oven until the filling is bubbling and the pie is beginning to golden, approximately 1hr 15 minutes. Remove the foil from the crust and continue to bake until the pie is golden, approximately 20-30 minutes longer depending of your oven, depth of your pie plate and etc.

7. Let cool fully before serving/freezing, and enjoy!


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