I love random “holidays.” National Bourbon Day, National Popcorn Day, National Peanut Butter Day – you name it and there is probably a holiday for it! When I heard that last Saturday (January 23rd) was National Pie Day, I knew I had to participate – and thus learned that Southern Belle Raspberry Pie may actually be my favorite dessert ever.
Not being much of a baker, I rarely venture into the dessert realm of cooking. Breads, cakes, and pies, while delicious, are extremely difficult for me to master. National Pie Day was just the push I needed to try out a recipe from a baking cookbook my mom gave me a few years back, Desserts from the Famous Loveless Café. This cookbook contains some of the most delightful sounding (and looking) desserts imaginable, but it has sat unused on my shelf for years because I was so intimidated. I would occasionally stare wistfully in its direction and think to myself, “Oh cookbook, how I wish my baking skills were better so that I could actually use you…” Well, I finally put my Big Girl Pants on and decided to give it a go. I mean, if there was ever a time for me to make a pie, it was on a dreary, rainy Saturday that also happened to be National Pie Day.
Flipping through the cookbook, I was immediately drawn to the “Southern Belle Raspberry Pie” for two reasons: 1) Raspberries are delicious! and 2) The pie has the most beautiful and vibrant, deep pink color that is simply irresistible. I had low expectations that the pie would turn out due to my lack of baking know-how, but even I couldn’t mess this one up! It was honestly, totally delicious with the perfect balance between tart and sweet. I know the use of rosewater seems a bit odd, but it just enhances the flavor of the raspberries and isn’t overpowering at all. If you are not able to track down rosewater though, I imagine the pie would still be delicious without. (You can find rosewater in the bitters section of your local BevMo/high-end liquor store or Amazon.com.)
The “Southern Belle Raspberry Pie” brightened up my dreary Saturday and evoked images of springtime soon to come. Try it and let me know your thoughts.
Southern Belle Raspberry Pie
Recipe from Desserts from the Famous Loveless Café by Alisa Huntsman
I didn’t modify this recipe at all – it is perfect as written. (Please note that this recipe requires 4 to 5 hours of resting time prior to serving.)
Ingredients:
- (2) 9” pie crusts
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (This equated to one large orange thoroughly zested)
- 2 teaspoons rose water
- ½ a vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
- 5-6 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (I used fresh, but if you use frozen, make sure they are thoroughly thawed and drained.)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon coarse sanding sugar
- Serving suggestions: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Fit one of your pie crusts into a 9” pie pan and set aside. Line a sturdy baking sheet with parchment paper and spray a thin coating of baking spray on top of the paper. (This will keep the pie shell from sticking if it accidentally bubbles over. The molten raspberry filling can solidify into a rock solid mess!) Place your prepared pie pan in the center of the baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch so they are blended. Add the orange zest and rosewater. Using a paring knife, gently scrape the vanilla bean seeds from inside the split pod into the bowl. Because there are few wet ingredients, you will never be able to evenly incorporate the rose water, zest and vanilla into the dry ingredients with a spoon, so use your fingers to rub everything together to combine them. Make sure you get each clump and evenly distribute it throughout the bowl. Take your time on this and keep going until all clumps have been broken up.
- Add the raspberries and gently use your hands to toss them in the bowl so that they are coated with the sugar mixture. It’s OK if some of the raspberries break up a little bit, but try to be as gentle as possible. You will want as many whole raspberries as possible. Pour the coated raspberries into the pie shell and smooth into an even layer.
- Take your second pie crust and lay it on a lightly floured cutting board. Cut it into approximately 1” wide pieces. One by one, lay the pieces in a lattice pattern on top of the pie and crimp the edges. (If you need help on your lattice technique, see the helpful tips here on Saveur.com.)
- Once your pie is ready, you can sprinkle some coarse sanding sugar on top of the lattice crust for a little decorative touch, but it is strictly optional.
- Bake in the center of your oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling in the center of your pie and the crust is a beautiful golden brown. Carefully remove from the oven and let cool on a baking rack for AT LEAST 4 to 5 hours. This is very, very important!! If you cut into the pie before then, your filling will not have had time to set and you will have a big, soupy mess in your pie tin. Patience is a virtue, so exercise it here and wait AT LEAST 4 to 5 hours before serving.
- Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
