PIE! (made with Rhubarb and Raspberries)

This weekend I had an essay to write. So I made a pie. A scrumptious pie with light crumbly pastry and tart spicy fillings. And it made Winter seem ok yesterday, when I had two pieces. And also this morning when I had some more for breakfast.

Ingredients (filling)

• I bunch of rhubarb, trimmed and cut to 1 inch chunks
• frozen raspberries
• 1 cup caster sugar
• spices for fruit poaching (cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and ginger the non-negotiables)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• water

Ingredients (pastry)

• 250g unsalted butter, cubed
• 4-5 tablespoons iced water
• 450g flour
• caster sugar (i just threw it in as an afterthought - probably about 30g worth, but you could use more)

Now pie is not for a hasty gastronome. No, it is for a gastronome who is tied to the house because she has to write an essay. Because you want to let that pastry chill at every opportunity (minimum two hours). I chilled mine at every stage in the process. I started it at 3pm, by the time we ate the pie it was 9pm. Got that? Also, let it be said that having a kitchen as freezing as mine is in Winter is a real perk when making pastry.

But time aside, pastry is super dooper easy to make, as long as you know what you're shooting for. Start by putting all your ingredients in the fridge or freezer for at least 30 mins. Then, take your butter, flour and sugar and put them in a mixer.

Leave a smidgen of butter aside for greasing your pie pan later. Pulse the ingredients until they starts to resemble course crumbs. Add the icy water little by little, until you've added about 5 tablespoons worth. Don't over mix it, this is imperative. It shouldn't take to long. Tip it out onto a floured surface and smoosh the mixture together into two mishapen balls. It will stick together if you apply a bit of pressure.

Chill.

Prepare your filling. Put everything except the raspberries in a saucepan. Add water so that it's about 1 inch deep in the bottom of the pan.

Bring to the boil, stirring regularly so that the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat once the rhubarb starts to soften an get a bit mushy, and once the mixture is getting thick. The rhubarb will continue to soften in the heat of the mixture. Leave to cool on the stove top.

While your fruit is cooling prepare your pie pan. Then take one of your balls of dough and roll it gently onto a floured surface. And be patient (not like me), roll it out slowly, incrementally, to keep it even and prevent it from splitting and from being overworked. Roll it to about 5mm thick, because pastry is super yummy and you don't want to skimp.

Line your pie pan, keeping any scraps, and once again, chill it in the fridge.

Once the fruit mix is cooled to close to luke warm, add your raspberries and mix through. Leave to cool thoroughly.

In an hour or so,  once the fruit mix is room temperature, prepare your pie completely. First, take your remaining  ball of dough and roll it out. Then pour your filling into your pie base, remembering to place your pie chimney in the centre*. Cut a small slit from your rolled out pastry to fit over your chimney and lie the top over the dish.

Trim the edges and then press the two pieces of pastry together, crimping with your thumb, to seal the pie.

Depending on the size of your pie dish you may want to keep your remaining pastry - it can be frozen for up to 3 months and save you lots of time later. Otherwise, you can roll it out and cut decorations from it, because that essay still isn't finished and it seems like a good use of your time. Then dust the whole thing with sugar, because you're not sure you made the pastry sweet enough, and it sure as hell can't hurt.

Chill, until about an hour before you want to eat it.  Bake it for 20 minutes in a hot oven (200-210 C degrees) and then for another 30 minutes at 180 C. If your oven isn't fan forced you may want to leave it in another 5 mins or so.

Then consume with vanilla ice cream with your boyfriend and dinner guests, and again for breakfast the next day, and again and again until there's none left.  Call your trash-talking friends and announce you are ready for a pie off, whenever they're feeling game. Sit back and feel smug. Then remember your essay.

*A pie chimney or pie vent allows steam to escape from the centre of the pie, as the filling heats in the oven, thus preventing leakage out the sides, and stopping the pastry from going soggy.