Raisin & Sour Cream Meringue Pie
This recipe for this delicious pie has been sitting in my big blue binder for nigh onto 40 years or so now. Yes . . . unfortunately I AM that old! I don't know how it happened either . . .
My father's favourite pie has always been raisin pie. But by that I mean the old fashioned two crust raisin pie, with a rich and sweet sticky raisin filling. I confess to having a certain fondness for it myself. We are real pie aficionado's in my family. If its in a pie, you can be certain we will be crazy about it . . . within reason of course. Let it suffice to say that (up to this point) I have never met a pie I did not like!
You will need a baked 9 inch pie crust for this pie. I used my Butter & Lard Pastry for this. (Scroll down the page.) Its my favourite pastry recipe.
The filling is very easy to make. It is a lovely and lush basic cream filling made with sugar and milk, egg yolks, etc. and flavoured with a tiny bit of nutmeg.
Add to that an abundance of sticky sweet raisins . . . and at the very end, a quantity of sour cream . . . and you have a really delicious filling.
Gilding the top is a three egg white meringue, nice and fluffy and tall, just like what you might see in am American Diner!
Ideally you should chill it in the refrigerater for at least 3 hours prior to cutting it, but the light was fading and I needed to take a picture of it while I still could.
I really hate the way the light changes in the colder months . . . it means I have to take my photos earlier and earlier in the day. I suppose I should have left it in the refrigerator overnight and taken the photos in the morning, but . . .
I promised to show you the recipe today! I will take another photo of it all set up tomorrow and add it to the end of this post . . . so you can see how lovely it really looks.
That's not to say that these aren't drool worthy photos anyways . . . because they surely are.
Todd is actually eating a piece as I write this and he has just exclaimed about how delicious it is!
I call that a win! Oh, I do hope I can resist this . . . but somehow I don't think I will really be able to. I don't think I have enough willpower!
Yield: 8
Raisin & Sour Cream Meringue Pie
A lush sour cream filling dappled with soft plump raisins. This is pretty wonderful.
ingredients:
For the filling:
- 135g caster sugar (3/4 cup)
- 4 TBS cornflour (corn starch)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 480ml whole milk (2 cups)
- 3 large free-range egg yolks slightly beaten
- 230g raisins (1 1/2 cups)
- 120g sour cream (1 cup)
For the meringue:
- 3 large free-range egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 6 TBS caster sugar
You will also need:
- 1 baked 9-inch pastry pie shell
instructions:
How to cook Raisin & Sour Cream Meringue Pie
- Combine the sugar, cornflour, salt and nutmeg in a saucepan. Stir in the milk, blending all of the ingredients together until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, over moderate heat, until the mixture comes to the boil. Boil for a minute and then remove from the heat. Temper the egg yolks with about a quarter cup of the hot mixture. Whisk this back into the remaining mixture in the saucepan along with the raisins. Cook until the mixture bubbles. Remove from the heat, stir in the sour cream to combine and then pour the whole lot into the baked pie crust.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. gas mark 6.
- In a clean bowl, and with clean beaters, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar together until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, still beating, one tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon over the hot filling in the pie, spreading it all the way to the edge of crust to cover completely. Place on a baking tray and bake in the heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and then in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
With its crisp flaky crust, lush creamy filling studded with raisins and its sweet and fluffy golden brown meringue topping, this is a real winner of a pie! I hope you will make it. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
Now that it has had overnight to set up.
Now doesn't that look great??? I can promise you that it is!