Grandma Badertschers Swiss Mennonite Raisin Nut Pie Recipes

SWISS CHARD, RAISIN, AND PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• Bring raisins and water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 hour. Drain in a colander, then pat dry with paper towels. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Blanch chard in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain chard in a colander, then squeeze out excess water by handfuls. Coarsely chop chard.
• Whisk together egg, cream, granulated sugar, zest, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Stir in pine nuts, raisins, and chard until combined.
• Roll out larger piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 15- by 11-inch rectangle and fit into tart pan (do not trim edges). Chill shell while rolling out top.
• Roll out smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin into a 12- by 9-inch rectangle. Spread chard filling evenly into shell, then top with second rectangle of dough. Using a rolling pin, roll over edges of pan to seal tart and trim edges, discarding scraps. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a paring knife, then put tart in pan on a baking sheet. Bake until top is golden, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and cool 10 minutes, then remove side of pan. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.

RAISIN PECAN PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°., Pour boiling water over raisins in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, melted butter, vinegar, vanilla and spices until blended. Stir in pecans and drained raisins. Pour into crust., Bake on a lower oven rack until filling is set, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

GRANDMA MEG'S RAISIN PIE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water and corn syrup until blended. Add raisins. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice and butter (filling will be thin). , Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top., Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°; bake 30 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

GRANDMA FRIENDSHIP'S RAISIN PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 piece of pie crust into a 12-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Cover with plastic wrap; chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, mix together raisins, water, cornstarch, sugar, vinegar, salt, cinnamon, and butter. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Let boil until very thick, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour raisin mixture into pie shell. On a lightly floured work surface, roll remaining piece of pie crust into a 12-inch round. Using a 1 1/4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 8 decorative heart shapes in a circular pattern, from center of the top crust. Lay over raisin mixture. Trim top and bottom edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang; press lightly to seal, then fold under and press again. Crimp edges as desired.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, milk, and salt. Brush egg mixture over crust and place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

GRANDMA'S SOUR CREAM RAISIN PIE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, place raisins and enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; set aside. , In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Stir in sour cream and milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat., Drain raisins, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Gently stir liquid into filling. Add raisins, and nuts if desired. Pour into pie shell. , For meringue, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling, sealing edge to crust. , Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

OLD FASHIONED RAISIN PIE I

Steps:

• Combine raisins and water in a small saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Blend brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together; add to hot raisins. Cook and stir until syrup is clear. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar and butter or margarine. Cool slightly.
• Turn filling into a pastry lined pan. Cover with top crust. Seal edges, and cut slits in the top crust.
• Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes.