Jessamine Dorland's Fresh Raspberry Pie
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Ingredients (9)
- 2 quarts fresh raspberries, washed or not as you prefer
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup + 4 tbsp. cool water
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch
- 3 tbsp. confectioners sugar
- 1/2 tsp. + a dash salt
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Jessamine was my very kind mother-in-law and a wonderful traditional cook. This pie “shows off” fresh raspberries to their best advantage. You can taste the fresh berries; they are not cooked but glazed with their own juices. A shortbread crust is rich but complements the simplicity of the berries. Barely sweetened heavy whipped cream tops the whole thing off. Every time I make this pie it reminds me of a lovely tart served at a London coffee bar in the early 1960s and lovingly of my younger sister, who died last summer. My sister and I strolled ‘round the corner to buy one tart each every afternoon at tea time. With a glass of cold, bubbly milk from the stainless steel milk machine, it couldn’t be beat!
Instructions
- 1Crust: Mix with a fork 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 tsp. salt, 3 tbsp. confectioners sugar, and 1 cup flour. When it has the consistency of cornmeal, press it into a pie plate, prick with fork, and bake empty at 425 degrees 10-12 mins. Check at minimum time as this crust burns easily.
- 2Glaze: Bring to a boil 1 cup berries (see step 5) that have been crushed and mixed with 1 cup cold water. Boil until berries are soft, then strain, reserving liquid in a bowl. I use a cheescloth clam bag (unused!) to strain. It will stretch over the top of the saucepan, and you can twist the bag to get all the juice out.
- 3Mix 1 cup sugar with a dash salt, then blend this with a mixture of 3 tbsp. cornstarch combined with 4 tbsp. cold water to make a heavy paste.
- 4Return raspberry juice to saucepan and add paste. Cook and stir until it is clear, smooth and thick. Stir in 1 tbsp. butter. Now your glaze is complete. Do NOT refrigerate, but allow to cool slightly in the pan.
- 5If you are a berry-washer, wash the berries lightly just before using them and drain well on paper towels. Pat lightly to dry. If you don’t want to wash your berries, examine them and brush off extraneous material (leaves, dirt, bugs). Washing won’t remove chemical pesticides if you bought the berries in a supermarket, so don’t bother washing for that reason. Pickers or packers with dirty hands might be a good reason to do so, though.
- 6Mound the berries in the baked crust and carefully spoon the glaze over the berries. to cover completely.
- 7Chill and garnish with heavy whipped cream sweetened with a little confectioners sugar and a tsp. vanilla. Chill for 2 hours in refrigerator.
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