Mom's Raisin Pie

So a couple of weeks ago I blogged about my mom's traditional Christmas tourtiere ... Today's post is also another one of her recipes. This one is for her Raisin Pie. As odd as it sounds it's delicious and one of my favorite pies. We had it often growing up and it tastes like home.

I made one the other day and put it in the freezer to have for dessert on Boxing Day.

Mom's Raisin Pie

• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups raisins
• 2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Combine boiling water, raisins and lemon rind in saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes. Combine sugar, flour and salt. Add gradually to hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add a small amount of the cooked mixture to the beaten egg. Add to remaining mixture in saucepan. Return to heat and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool. Prepare pastry for a double crust pie. Fill pastry-lined pie pan with the cooled raisin filling. Place top pastry over filling.

Bake at 425F for 35-40 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool before serving.

I'm not sure about the egg part of it. Some of it scrambled so I picked the bits out of it. Other recipes that I've seen online add 2 tbsp butter at the end instead of the egg. I would probably make this change next time I make this pie.

I will have to say, however, that I've been able to make pie dough (successfully) twice in the last couple of weeks. I owe my success to Anna Olson. I've tried other recipes for pie dough in the past and none of them worked quite as well as hers.

Anna Olson's Double-Crust Pie Dough

(from Anna Olson's Back to Baking)

• 1 cup cold unsalted butter
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 4 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 2 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice

While it's cold, cut the butter into small pieces and then leave it out of the fridge for 30 minutes. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter to the flour, mixing it until the dough is a rough, crumbly texture.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, water and vinegar or lemon juice, and add it to the dough all at once, mixing until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into 2 discs, wrap them each in plastic wrap, and chill them for at least 1 hour before rolling.