Pies say “Welcome!”

Baking someone a pie feels like giving them an extra long hug.

I grew up in a family of women who love to bake. It’s one of the ways we show love.

When I want to warm my husband’s heart (and satiate his sweet tooth) I’ll bake for him. I’m convinced he buys extra bananas and lets them get overripe so I’ll feel compelled to bake banana bread on a regular basis. And that’s okay with me.

Baking is my way to show someone I care about them. A friend going through a rough spot? Cookies. A neighbor having surgery? Pumpkin bread. A special anniversary? Hummingbird cake. The first thing I do when we’re anticipating company is pull out my recipe box. (Yes, I still have an old-fashioned box of recipe cards, some with my grandmother’s handwriting.)

Pies are extra special

Most of the time, the thing I want to bake for company is a pie. Because to me, nothing says “Welcome!” like pie. Maybe it’s the fact that pies feel extra special — after all, they do take a little more effort. They’re not as foolproof as cookies or a cake so they require my full concentration. A focused deed. More time to add more love.

And who doesn’t like pies? Pies are so scrumptious with their combination of almost-salty pastry and gooey, sweet, colorful filling. A pie is like a giant kiss to your taste buds.

Many of my favorite memories of time spent with my grandmother were the days we made pie together. She would fretfully explain all the potential pitfalls of pie baking: rolling the pastry too much and ending up with a tough un-flakey crust, or leaving small cracks in the pastry where the filling could bleed through, or (god forbid) burning the edges of the crust. And she would patiently show me how to precisely cut thin strips of pastry and entwine them to make a beautiful lattice top — a style that made the pie look extra fancy and ooh-inspiring.

My personal pie pedestal

My grandmother must have been a good teacher, because with the skills she taught me I was the proud winner of the county 4-H pie-baking contest one year. My family has greatly exaggerated the status of this contest over the years and now, according to my son’s bragging to his friends, I was once “the top pie baker in the state of South Dakota.” Pretty far from the truth, but I hesitate to set him straight.

I will admit that my winning recipe for a rhubarb custard pie is delicious and somewhat unusual. I’m happy to share it with you and I hope you’ll try it. And if you’re coming to visit and you give me enough notice, you might just find a big yummy piece waiting for you.

Rhubarb custard pie recipe

Prepare pie crust, press bottom crust into 10” pie pan. (If you decide to use a pre-made crust, your secret is safe with me.)

Place into crust:

4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 inch by 1/2 inch pieces

In a small bowl, combine:

3 eggs - well beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Pour egg mixture evenly over the top of the rhubarb. Add the the top crust and seal the edges.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat and bake at 350 degrees for another 35-45 minutes until fruit mixture is bubbling and crust is evenly browned. Cover edges of pasty if it starts to brown too much.

Serve warm (if possible) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.