Favorite Glazed Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry rhubarb pie is the rite-of-spring dessert that signals warmer weather has actually arrived. The brilliance of this version is in the layering. Half the fruit, half the sweetened flour mixture, then repeat. That double layer keeps the sugar evenly distributed instead of pooling at the bottom and turning the lower crust soggy.

The flour does the work of holding the juicy filling together. Rhubarb releases a flood of liquid as it cooks, and without that thickener you’d end up with pie soup. A high-standing fluted rim catches any bubbling juice that wants to escape, and the cold-water-and-sugar wash brushed on the top crust gives the pie its signature crackly, sparkling finish.

A hot 425F (220C) oven is what sets the crust before the filling melts through. The vents on top let steam escape so the top crust stays crisp instead of soggy from below.

Pro Tips

• Use rhubarb stalks that are firm and red. Limp or pale stalks will be stringy in the finished pie.
• Cut strawberries to roughly the same size as the rhubarb pieces. Even fruit cooks evenly.
• Place the pie on a foil-lined sheet pan. Bubble-over juice burns onto an oven floor in minutes.
• Cool the pie at least 3 hours before slicing. Cutting hot pie gives you a runny mess on the plate.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of orange zest to the sugar mixture for a citrus brightness against the tart rhubarb.
• Swap a third of the strawberries for raspberries for a deeper berry note.
• Top with a lattice crust instead of a full top for a prettier presentation that vents better.