Here’s a new dessert pie (at least it was for us) for your Thanksgiving line up next week – a Deep South Cranberry Pie.
A couple we’ve recently met through a fly fishing connection hails from South Carolina; during a little shindig at their home recently Shelly served this amazing pie as part of an early holiday meal. It was damned attractive with it’s deep red color and golden crust and was one of the most surprisingly delicious pies I’ve had in years.
Of course I pestered her for the recipe and she led me to the kitchen and showed me a yellowed newspaper clipping from the Charleston Post and Courier with the recipe as published years ago, the original recipe taken from The Blue Grass Cook Book (Kentucky) featuring turn of the century recipes from African American cooks in the South and Appalachia.
Shelly noted over the years she’s increased the cranberries a bit to overshadow the raisins and added just a teaspoon of lime zest for a subtle citrus note.
It’s damned simple to literally stir together, and even She Who Must Be Obeyed, with her bizarre and illogical fear of raisins, though this was an outstanding pie.
Pie pastry for a double-crust pie
1 tbsp salted butter, softened
1 tbsp bleached AP flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 cups fresh raw cranberries
1/2 cup raisins (your choice of type)
1 tsp fresh lime zest
Preheat the oven to 350.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with the bottom crust; keep the top crust handy and covered.
Combine the butter and flour in a large bowl; Shelly said it’s best to use a fork to mash then together until well combined. Add the sugar and mash everything together until it’s evenly mixed and looks crumbly.
Now add the cranberries, raisins and lime zest; toss it around and stir it up to mix well. Pour into the pie crust and level the filling.
Now drop the top crust into place after wetting the exposed edge of the bottom crust with water or a beaten egg; seal firmly and crimp with whatever decorative pattern floats your boat. Cut eight slits in the top crust (vents) using a sharp knife.
Now bake (on a baking sheet to catch drips) on the middle oven shelf until filling is bubbling and thickened and the crust is golden brown (50 minutes for us).
Cool to room temperature and give it at least four hours to set before serving with a big scoop of good vanilla ice cream or freshly prepared (with brown sugar) whipped cream.
Enjoy.
