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Sour cream raisin pie
Waterloo County Mennonite custard pie with meringue
Sour cream raisin pie is a farm-kitchen dessert from the Old Order Mennonite communities of Waterloo County, Ontario, found at the St Jacobs market and at church suppers around Elmira. Plump raisins sit in a tangy sour-cream custard, warm with cinnamon and clove, under a tall cloud of meringue. It is made ahead and served cool, cut in generous wedges. A common mistake is spreading the meringue on a cold filling, which makes it weep; spread it while the filling is hot. Chef's tip: simmer the raisins first so they are soft and juicy instead of chewy in the custard.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 9 oz shortcrust pastryhomemade or ready-made
For the filling
- 7 oz raisins
- ¾ cup water
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ¼ cups soured cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the meringue
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 2 ⅝ oz caster sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Line a 23 cm pie dish with 9 oz shortcrust pastry, prick the base, line with paper and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes; remove the paper and beans and bake 8–10 minutes more until golden and crisp.
25 minStep 2: Simmer 7 oz raisins in ¾ cup water for 10 minutes until plump. Lower the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
10 minStep 3: Mix 5 ½ oz caster sugar, 3 tbsp cornflour, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 pinch ground cloves and 1 pinch salt in a heavy pan. Whisk in 1 ¼ cups soured cream and 3 egg yolks, then add the raisins and their liquid. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, for 6–8 minutes until thick enough to coat the spoon heavily and the first bubble plops. Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice and pour into the pastry case.
8 minStep 4: Whisk 3 egg whites with ¼ tsp cream of tartar to soft peaks, then add 2 ⅝ oz caster sugar a spoonful at a time and whisk to stiff, glossy peaks.
5 minStep 5: Spread the meringue over the hot filling right to the pastry edge, sealing it so it doesn't shrink, and swirl into peaks. Bake for 12–15 minutes until the peaks are golden.
15 minStep 6: Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours before slicing with a wet knife.
180 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sour cream raisin pie take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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