Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

My mothers method of cooking pies is this:
1. Buy a pie crust
2. throw some fruit into the pie crust
3. Throw in some flour and sugar and bake.

I have had very limited success with her three step method. Half the time the flour doesn't thicken and I end up with soup in a pie shell.

Since I don't have my mother's cooking talents (at least not when it comes to pie). I have added 2 more steps for delicious never fail pie.
1. Make your own pie crust. Store bought ones are tasteless at best.
2. Throw in some fruit
3. Make a thick syrup.
4. Pour the syrup over the fruit.
5. Cover with a lattice and bake.

Lattice pies look gorgeous and are not that difficult to make. Today I am making strawberry rhubarb pie with a really easy homemade pie crust. Below is the recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

• Pie crust: 
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup margarine (cold, cut into pieces)
• 8-10 Tbsp cold milk
• Pie Filling
• 6 cups fruit (some combination of strawberries and rhubarb)
• 1.5 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 4 Tbsp corn starch

Instructions

Crust: 

1. Mix together butter, salt and flour with a pasty cutter until crumbly. Add cold milk, 2 Tbsp at a time, until the dough sticks together in a ball. Split into two balls. 
2. Roll one ball of dough between two sheets of wax paper. Drape over a 10 inch pie pan and cut to fit.
3. Roll out the second ball of dough and cut into 1/2 inch strips. This will be used for the lattice later

Pie filling

1. Fill pie shell with fruit. 
2. Boil the water, sugar and cornstarch together until clear. Pour over fruit.

An almost perfect lattice

Lattice

1. Make a lattice over the pie. Lay out strips one at a time, starting with the middle and switching between horizontal and vertical strips. Weave each strip together as you lay it out.
2. Press the edges into the bottom pie crust. Trim.
3. Bake pie for 10 minutes at 450 and 40-50 minutes at 350. This pie will be extra juicy so put it on a cookie sheet when you put it into the oven. 

Here is the finished result. It was delicious, not to tart, not to sweet, although next time I may add more cornstarch.