Pie Crazy–Red Raspberry Pie Filling

I use to think that cupcakes were the rave.   They are cute and tasty, and you can make just about any flavor imaginable, but truthfully, my new rave is homemade pie.  Pies offer a sense of nostalgia for me.  My grandmother and mother made them often, and made them well.

I have actually discovered the more pies you make, the more efficient you become at making them. What once seemed like a dreaded chore, now seems like a – piece of pie.

And how about the cost of buying a pie these days.  Whoa… Hold on to your wallets folks!  They certainly aren’t cheap.  So, why not make your own?

I searched the archives here at The Joy of Caking and found I’ve made and shared quite a few pies with you.  I guess maybe my new rave isn’t so new after all.  Here is the list I came up with.

Farm Country Peach

Vanilla Cream Pie. 

Custard Pie

Red Raspberry Custard Pie with Vanilla Crumb Crust

Old-Fashioned Blueberry Custard Pie

Mini Apple Pies

Homemade Apple Pie 

Lemon Meringue Pie 

Guilt Free Mini Pies

Icebox Banana Chocolate Pie

I see I’ve still have a lot of pies flavors yet to go, and that’s just fine with me.

This red raspberry pie filling is about as raspberry as you’re going to get.  I used berries that I had frozen from our own raspberry bushes. I’d say the filling leans toward the tart side.  If you prefer a more sweet filling bump up the sugar by 1/4 cup.

  

Raspberry Pie Filling

2 tbsp. corn starch

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

a dash of salt

1 c. granulated sugar

2 pints of fresh, or frozen red raspberries

3 tbsp. margarine

prepared double  pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix corn starch, flour, salt, and sugar.  Blend all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.  Pour sugar mixture over berries and fold lightly until berries are completely covered.  Pour into prepared bottom pie crust, dot with margarine, and cover with top crust. 

Follow the instructions for baking the pie according to your pie crust recipe.

What do you think?  Is pie the new rave, or is it just me?

 

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Vanilla Cream Pie

Pick your poison: Banana Cream, Coconut Cream, Almond Cream, Chocolate Cream, Butterscotch Cream, or Vanilla Cream Pie.  And so I did; Vanilla Cream Pie.

This pie is so simple, yet so rich and creamy.  It has a hint of old-fashioned to it – which I like.  Nothing fancy or extravagant, just pure deliciousness. 

This recipe comes from Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook.   I increased the vanilla extract in the recipe by 1/2 teaspoon.

You will need one 9” prepared pie crust.  I used a recipe for my pie crust out of the same cookbook.

Vanilla Cream Pie (Original Recipe)

2/3 c. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 c. milk

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix in a large saucepan; sugar, salt, cornstarch, and flour.  Gradually stir in milk.  Heat mixture over moderate heat (stirring constantly) until it thickens and boils.  Boil 1 minute.

Remove from heat.  Slowly stir half the mixture into the beaten eggs.  Then blend the hot egg mixture back into the saucepan.  Return to heat and bring to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla.  Pour into prepared pie crust.  Chill for two hours before serving.  Top with whipped cream, toasted nuts or coconut, or fresh fruit. 

I topped my pie with homemade vanilla-cinnamon whipped cream – yum!

I want to thank Mike and Molly again for the bottle of their homemade vanilla that I won in their give-away last winter.   It  is awesome and ranks right up there with the more expensive brands that I often purchase.  Thanks guys!