Sour Cream Raisin Pie

One of my Grandmothers is, and always has been a fabulous cook.  After she raised a kajillion kids (ok, 8) my Grandfather passed away so she bought a pizza restaurant/arcade in a town near where she lived and she worked the restaurant for a few years before moving to the town where we lived and she started working as a cook at the local nursing home.  Always cooking!   By the time she moved to the town where we lived I was getting ready to be married and move 2000 miles away, so I never really knew her all that well, but there is one thing that pops into my head whenever I think of her.  Sour Cream Raisin Pie.  Her favorite.  I remember this because every year at the holidays she would make about 5 pies and without fail there would be a sour cream raisin.

I hated raisins.

That is probably why, as a 4 year old, I remember this pie so well!  They made me eat it twice (that I remember)  and I painstakingly picked out every single little raisin.  I may be an adult now, but I still painstakingly pick out every single little raisin.   (I'll do the same thing if you try to put raisins my Thanksgiving stuffing, cinnamon bread or even salads!)  Oddly enough however, I love Raisin Bran Cereal.  Go figure?


For my Grandma H - this one is for you!

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Pie Crust:
2-3 c flour
1 t salt
1 1/4 c shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2  t vinegar
6 T water or milk

Cut the salt and shortening into flour until crumbly. Add the egg, vinegar and milk.  Mix to form dough. Roll out into circles to form 3 pie crusts.  Bake 1, 2 or 3 of them.  You can freeze the extra crusts for future use or make more pies.


3 egg yolks
1 c sour cream 1 c milk
1 c sugar
3 T flour
3 t vinegar
1/4 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cinnamon
3/4 c raisins
1 t vanilla

Cook all the filling ingredients in saucepan on stove until mixture thickens. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into baked pie crust.   For the meringue topping beat together;

3 egg whites
5 T sugar
1/2 t cream of tartar

Beat until mixture forms stiff peaks. To stabilize the meringue, mix about 1/2 t corn starch with about 2 T water and microwave in a mug or cup until thick.  Drizzle this into your egg mixture and beat stiff.   Top the raisin filling on the pie.  You can serve the meringue as is or finish it off by placing it under the broiler until the tips are golden.