Rhubarb Custard Pie (Soy, Nut and Fish-Free, Can Be Wheat and Milk-Free)

In this house, we love rhubarb.  I've made all sorts of rhubarb goodies - Rhubarb Coffee Cake, Rhubarb Sauce, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, Strawberry-Rhubarb Freezer Jam - but one of our hands-down favorites is this recipe for Rhubarb Custard Pie.  It was passed along to me via my family cookbook "The Sommer Seasons", and the original recipe is from my great grandma Evelyn Sommer.  It's got an amazing sweet-tart taste, a rich, creamy custard, and is an all-around crowd pleaser.  If you like rhubarb, this pie is for you!  Did I mention it is soy, nut and fish-free (if all your ingredients are), and can be wheat and milk-free (see variations)?   Yep - it's a keeper!

Rhubarb Custard Pie

1/2 recipe for my Easy Pie Crust, prepared but not baked

1 1/2 Cups white sugar

(We always use cane sugar.)

2 Tablespoons soy-free flour

(All-purpose white flour works best, and I recommend King Arthur brand.)

3 whole eggs

1 1/2 Tablespoons salted, full-fat butter, melted

3 Cups finely sliced rhubarb

(Amount of rhubarb is after cutting, not before.)

1. Preheat your oven to 450^oF.
    
2. Roll out your prepared pie crust dough, and put it into a 9-inch, glass pie dish.  (Note: I find that glass pie dishes are best for baking pie, but you can use whatever you have on hand.  Also, make sure that you are only making half the recipe for the Easy Pie Crust as that recipe makes 2 crusts and you will only need 1 crust.)
     
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour.
     
4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs slightly and then add them to your sugar and flour mixture until just combined.
     
5. Add the melted butter and the sliced rhubarb to your sugar/flour/egg mixture and mix thoroughly.
     
6. Pour the rhubarb mixture into the prepared crust-lined pie dish and bake for about 10 minutes.
      
7. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temp to 350^oF and bake another 30 minutes longer or until a table knife comes out clean.  (Note:  Your pie should be set like a custard pie or cheesecake.  A little wobble in the pie is good (think set Jell-o or custard - if the pie's custard moves all together and doesn't look like liquid moving, it should be good to go, especially if the knife comes out clean), but you don't want a huge wobble (think bowl of cream - any wobble that is extremely obvious and looks like liquid moving is too much).)
     
8. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving and store any left overs in the fridge.  (Note: I normally make this pie the day or night before I want to serve it as it is best very cold.  I just allow it to cool on the counter until it is cool enough to stick in the fridge, put it in the fridge, and then leave it there until I am ready to cut and serve it.)

Makes 8 to 12 servings.  You can serve it plain or topped with sweetened whipped cream or even ice cream if you are so inclined and your diet allows. :)

Variations (Please keep your individual allergen needs in mind when making variations/using substitutions!):

• Wheat-Free: Use a gluten-free pie crust of your choice (not graham cracker-type) in place of the regular pie crust.
    
• Milk-Free: Use a dairy-free butter of choice for the regular butter.  You could probably also use coconut oil or lard as well.  Do not substitute any other oil (vegetable, canola, almond, avocado, etc.) for the butter, though, as you need a fat that has a solid form for this recipe to turn out properly.  You will also need to use a dairy-free crust, like this recipe.
    
• Other Fruits: You can sub any fresh fruit for the rhubarb that you wish that you think would taste good in a custard pie - raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, apple, etc.  I would not recommend using a soft fruit like banana, though, as it would greatly alter the texture of the pie.

Have a great week!