A couple weeks back, The Junior League of Madison reached out to me to see if I was interested in collaborating with them.
The group, which is the local chapter of the national Junior League organization, is committed to improving the quality of life in the Madison community.
In addition to their philanthropic work, they get creative with how to raise money for their cause. One of these projects is their Mad About Food cookbook. The cookbook is a compilation of 300 recipes with an emphasis on the favorite local flavors and foods of their Madison members.
The book is organized into eight sections: appetizers and beverages, breads and breakfasts, soups, salads, vegetables and side dishes, main courses, desserts, and local restaurant favorites. They even give you ways to pair the different recipes together: a garden fresh lunch menu (which includes cold cucumber soup, salad with asparagus and oranges, a leek tart, plus dessert and punch), or a cocktail party menu (featuring brie with port wine and cherry sauce, Mediterranean tapenade, chicken satay, and more).
Sprinkled throughout the cookbook are bits of trivia and history about Madison, making it interesting to page through.
When I got my hands on the cookbook I immediately found myself staring at the rhubarb custard pie recipe. Their version has you using a pre-made pie crust, but I decided to make my own. I’ve included instructions below, but if you want a more in depth tutorial on pie crust in all its glory, you should absolutely read my friend and fellow Madison food blogger Bowen Appetit’s Pie Crust Guide.
To make the pie, you’ll soak tart rhubarb in sugar before combining with the simple custard you just whipped up. You’ll then pour the mixture into a flaky tart shell and bake it for about an hour. When it’s pulled out of the oven, you’ll want to dig in immediately.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to let the pie cool completely, which is a cruel, cruel trick that pies play on the people that want to devour them. But the wait is worth it.
I love this work—someone reaches out to me to collaborate and I end up eating pie on the weekend.
There are 299 other lovely recipes to page through in the cookbook, and 100% of the sale proceeds go towards the Junior League of Madison’s programs, so I suggest you get one today.
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
- ¼ - ½ cup ice water
- 3¼ cup rhubarb, cut into cubes (about 3-4 large stalks)
- 1¼ cup sugar, divided
- 3 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2½ tablespoons flour
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, combine until mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbles. Add water, a little at a time, and incorporate into dough just until it holds together. Alternatively, you can do this all in a food processor or stand mixer. The dough should hold together but still be a little flaky.
- Divide dough into two even sections. Wrap each in plastic and shape into a disc. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Combine rhubarb with ¾ cup sugar. Let sit while you make the custard.
- Using a stand mixer, beat together eggs, ½ cup sugar, salt, and flour until mixture is creamy and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Pour custard onto rhubarb and mix well.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the discs of dough to fit the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan, allowing about ½ an inch of dough to hang over the edges. Roll out the second disc to similar size.
- Insert the bottom crust into the pie pan. Pour in rhubarb custard and spread evenly. Add the top crust, trimming and then pinching around the edges. Cut several slits into the top crust to let steam escape while baking.
- Bake for 50 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.
Recipe adapted slightly from the Junior League of Madison Cookbook.
Love that you used this recipe! I am a former Junior League of Madison member and this was a recipe that I submitted for the cookbook. My Nona (Grandma in Italian) made this for us throughout the years and now I make it for my family! Enjoy!!
writes andreabladerOh so happy to hear from the recipe owner! The pie was delicious, we ate it far too quickly. Thanks for contributing it!
writes Vicky[…] have not yet had my fill of rhubarb this year so I’m thinking pie, cake, or ice cream. Or maybe I should stop eating like I’m still pregnant and try something […]
writes Farmer's Market/CSA Series {Week 2} - Things I Made Today[…] but honestly, I usually want to add copious amounts of butter or cream (or both) and bake it into pie and cake, or churn it into ice […]
writes Beet and Rhubarb Salad - Things I Made Today[…] Rhubarb Custard Pie – a classic combination and so so […]
writes Three Year Anniversary and Jason's Best Of Choices - Things I Made TodayIt looks to me like the lucious pie in the photos is a single-crust pie, no top crust. The recipe, however, is for a top crust. Please clarify this.
writes Sara LucksHey Sara! I’ve done it both ways. In the photos there is a lattice crust but the filling bubbled over quite a bit. I’ve made it with a full top crust and I prefer that way, but either way works !
writes Vicky