RHUBARB CHERRY PIE WITH BOURBON AND BITTERS

​Whole Wheat Pie Pastry              makes enough for one lattice topped 9” pie

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup white whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
3 oz. non-hydrogenated shortening, frozen and cut into pieces
6-9 tablespoons ice cold water
2 teaspoons cherry shrub (available from the Hudson Standard) or apple cider vinegar

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, brown sugar and salt. With a pastry cutter or a bench scraper, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then cut in the shortening, being careful not to over mix. In a small pyrex measuring cup, combine 6 tablespoons of the ice cold water with the cherry shrub (or apple cider vinegar.) Gradually add the liquid to the mixture, tossing it lightly with your fingertips, pulling the mixture together. If it feels dry, add up to an additional 3 tablespoons of ice cold water. Divide the dough in half, shape into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out one disc of dough into a 12” circle, about ⅛” thick. Gently place the dough into the pie plate without stretching it. Tuck the edges under, flute them and refrigerate while you prepare the filling. Remove the second disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured sheet of a parchment. Using a pastry wheel, cut the dough into 1” strips, cover with plastic wrap and set on a baking sheet. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
 
Filling for- Rhubarb Cherry Pie with Bourbon and Bitters
 
(tweaked from Kate Lebo)
 
2½ cups fresh rhubarb, leaves removed, rinsed, cut into ¾” pieces
2½ cups sweet cherries, rinsed, stems removed, pitted
1 cup sugar
zest from 1 small orange
3 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons Amaro (an Italian liqueur not to be confused with Amaretto- I used Cynar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 dashes of cherry or rhubarb bitters
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of salt
5 tablespoons tapioca flour
 
egg wash made from 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk or cream
sanding sugar for sprinkling
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
 
In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb and cherries with the sugar, orange zest, bourbon, Amaro, vanilla, bitters, cardamom, and salt. Turn to coat with a rubber spatula. Add the tapioca flour to the fruit mixture, combining well. Retrieve the bottom crust and the lattice strips from the refrigerator.
 
Pour the filling into the bottom crust and weave the lattice strips over the filling. Seal the lattice top to the bottom crust, fold the edges under and crimp decoratively. Brush the lattice with the egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake on the bottle shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes until the crust turns golden. Move the pie to the middle shelf of the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. and bake for an additional 45 minutes, rotating the pie halfway through, until the pie bubbles around the edges and from the center. Place the pie on a rack to cool completely before serving.