 | | | Photo Susie Iventosch
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When we were in the Chicago area last month to visit our sons, my husband and I were invited for dinner at the home of some friends back there. Naturally, since we all love to cook ... and eat, we began telling recipe tales and one recipe she mentioned really piqued my curiosity. She said that she had made a cranberry-raspberry pie and that it was absolutely delicious! Though I really enjoy cranberries, fresh, dried or sauced, I had never really thought of cranberries as the focal point of a pie filling before.
 "The recipe was published in the Daily Herald," Connie said. "They periodically interview local cooks, so this recipe is some local cook's own recipe."
I just loved hearing this, because it made me realize how much fun readers can have perusing recipes in their local newspapers! I proceeded to make the recipe with a few of our sons' friends, and instead of making a top crust, we decided to make a pecan-crumb topping for the pie.
Well, Connie was right. The pie is delicious and makes a beautiful, ruby-red Valentine's dessert.
Happy Valentine's Day!
INGREDIENTS
1 pastry crust (see recipe below)
1 recipe pecan-crumb topping (recipe below)
2-10 oz. packages frozen raspberries, thawed and drained, reserving juices
1 cup water-raspberry juice mixture (from reserved juice above)
6 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Thaw raspberries in bowl and drain. Reserve the liquid, and add enough water to make 1 cup. Combine cranberries with raspberry liquid in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in small bowl. Add to the hot cranberry mixture. Cook, stirring over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in raspberries and cool for about 10 minutes.
Pour filling into prepared crust and pat crumb topping on top. Bake at 400F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until crust is slightly browned and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow filling to set up. Serve with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
approximately 1/2 cup icy water
DIRECTIONS
Mix flour and salt in large bowl. With pastry cutter or finger tips, crumble butter into flour until well integrated. Sprinkle cider vinegar over mixture and stir in well with a fork. Add ice-cold water (strain out ice first), a little at a time, and blend with fork until dough is moist enough to roll into a ball, but not too wet. Roll into one large ball for the pie crust and a smaller ball to use for patching your crust or for cinnamon roll ups for snacking.
Pecan Crumb Topping
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick butter cut into small pieces
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 cup finely chopped, toasted pecans
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix all dries, including nuts. With finger tips or a pastry cutter, cut butter into dries until crumbly and well integrated. Pat on top of fruit in unbaked pie shell.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA