In doing research for “Sentimental Sweets”, I ran across numerous mentions of “Raisin Pie”, including one anecdote of the reported complaining about growing weary of it! But it makes sense that this would be a frequently served dessert. The ingredients for pie crust were cheap and almost always on hand, and raisins, being a dried fruit, had a long shelf life.
(2024 update: Walmart lists the total cost to purchase all ingredients around $24. Not quite the penny pinching dessert it once was!)
I found the filling, when warm, reminds me of apple pie!
Use a ready-prepared pie crust, or make your own from scratch. My “Sweet Pie Crust” can be found here in the recipe section.
Raisin Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups "seeded" raisins
- 2 cups water reserve 2 Tbsp
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp corn starch mix with 2 tbsp water to make a slurry
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 batches pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare double crust pie pastry according to directions. Line a shallow pie pan with one pie crust.
- Combine raisins and water in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes, then turn heat to low. Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and add to raisins. Add in corn starch slurry. Continue cooking an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and butter.
- Pour cooked filling onto pie crust, cover with second pie crust. Seal edges together and be sure to cut slits to vent the top crust.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until pie crust turns golden brown.
- Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping.