Rhubarb Meringue Pie - Test 1

http://hippyinthekitchen.blogspot.ca/2016/04/rhubarb-my-favorite-rhubarb-recipes.html
https://www.incredibleegg.org/recipe/strawberry-rhubarb-custard-meringue-pie/

1 - This was very good, and I thought a bit too sweet, and the filling was too liquid. I suspect the filling would have gelled more if I had allowed the pie to cool completely. I've altered the recipe to include more yolk, which will make the filling more eggy and custardy - let's see how that goes!

2 - While making it, a few alterations seemed obvious. The filling instructions was more complicated than it needs to be, but the simpler version requires a bit more mindfulness. The pie was very successful. The meringue very light and Ben called it effervescent. The point of improvement is the crust. It was good, but it stuck to the pie plate! It's a glass pie plate and I wonder if a metal pie plate would react differently. Barring that, oiling the plate before pressing in the dough might work. Barring barring that, perhaps chilling the dough and rolling it out might work best.

3 - I pressed in the dough again and it stuck again. I'm going to try baking it in a cake pan with the bottom covered by parchment paper. Otherwise, the pie was very good, no changes recommended there.

Oatmeal Crust
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats

Filling
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsps flour
1 pinch of salt
2 5 egg yolks
3 cups (12 oz) diced rhubarb

Meringue
3 5 egg whites (room temperature)
1/3 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Crust

1. In a stand mixer cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt.
2. Mix in the flour and oats.
3. Prepare an 8-9" cake pan with a bottom lining of parchment paper.
4. When the dough is formed, with your fingers press evenly in the bottom and the sides of a 9" pie of the cake pan, creating a high even edge (there is a whole lotta filling!).
5. Chill the dough.

Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. In a bowl, mix sugar, flour, salt; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a wide, shallow saucepan, combine the rhubarb with enough water to barely cover it.
4. Cover and bring to a boil.
5. Stir the sugar and flour mixture into the saucepan and bring back to a boil. Stir frequently for about a minute or until you can trace a clear path on the bottom of the pan with the spoon.
6. Remove from the heat.
7. Whisk the egg yolks until they start to become pale. Very slowly and with very small amounts at a time, continuously whisking, pour in the rhubarb mixture. Be very slow with this, otherwise the yolks will just scramble instead of become a custard.
8. Pour the mixture into the chilled crust.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.

Meringue

1. When the filling has baked (it will still be giggly), in a stand mixer combine the egg whites and salt, and whisk until soft peaks form.
2. Gradually add the sugar while whisking and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Add the vanilla and, starting at the edges, spread the meringue over the pie.
4. Bake the pie for an additional 10 minutes or until the meringue browns nicely.