Raisin Pie

This flavoursome Old-Fashioned Raisin Pie has been a firm favourite of mine since childhood. I grew up with the smell of this delicious dessert in the kitchen so it's definitely a family thing, although I think I love it even more as an adult then I did as a kid. It always goes down a treat in my own home too. Not everyone is a raisin lover, but in my experience, almost everyone enjoys this pie, so even if raisins aren't on your top 10 list I still recommend giving it the taste test. Best served with vanilla ice cream on top.

3 cups raisins
3 cups water
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 Tbsp. lemon zest, freshly grated
2 Tbsp. butter
14.5 oz pie pastry for a 9-9½" double crust deep dish pie

To Serve:
vanilla ice cream

Preheat an oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Using a 9 or 9½" deep dish pie pan, line the bottom with the pie pastry. Put it back into the refrigerator until you are ready to pour in the filling; keep it nice and cool.

Make the Raisin Filling:
Combine the raisins and water in a small saucepan and boil them for 5 minutes, getting them nice and soft and plump.

Blend the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together then add into the hot raisin mixture.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is clear. The cornstarch will be cloudy for a little while then poof. All of a sudden your filling is clear and beautiful.

Remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice and zest, followed by the butter. Cool slightly.

Prepare the Pie:
Remove the pie plate from the refrigerator. Pour the filling into the pie plate and then cover with top crust. Seal edges, and cut slits in the top crust, whichever designs you like the best. Just make sure there are slits in the top of the pie.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until it's gorgeous and browned. Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• Freezing your pie is a great way to have it prepared months way ahead of time. To freeze, place the uncovered baked pie in the freezer, and when it's frozen wrap it tightly or place it in a freezer bag and put it back in the freezer. When frozen, your Raisin Pie can last for 4 months.
• One of the most important things I've learned in pie-making is to know your oven. You should always bake your pie in the lower racks of your oven, which will be the very bottom or second from the bottom depending on your oven - it's something you tend to figure out through trial and error. If you place the pie too high in the oven the bottom of the pie crusts won't cook properly and you'll end up with an overbaked crust with a soggy bottom - and no-one wants a soggy bottom.
• It also helps to cover the edges of your pie with tinfoil to avoid your crust getting too toasty. Mine tends to darken too much before the pie is completely baked through and this is a great way to make sure the top doesn't burn.

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 513kcal, Carbohydrates: 91g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 406mg, Potassium: 525mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Vitamin C: 5.4mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 2.9mg