Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

This was a secret recipe given to my mother by a gentleman she knew in Yountville.  The flavor is nothing like you've ever had before, it is amazingly delicious!  In fact, the pie is a blue-ribbon winner!  In 1993 Thom and I moved our family to the little central valley town of Delano, California. Each year there was a local festival called Harvest Holidays that had all the makings of a County Fair; livestock auction, carnival rides, food booths and displays of locally grown fruits and vegetable as well baked goods.  Each year the Harvest Committee would select a theme for the baking contest.  One year it was raisins which was a large crop in the area.  I immediately thought of this recipe and entered.  To my amazement I won a Blue Ribbon which I still have.  A few weeks after the fair I was contacted by one of the judges asking if she could publish the recipe.  She said that during the tasting the judges kept taking another sliver of my pie to eat because it was so good.  They had to make themselves stop so there was at least some of the pie left for display.  I had wondered why there was only a slice left of the pie on display when all the other entries only had a tiny piece missing. 

Ingredients:  

1 cup Golden Raisins (the golden raisins make a big difference)

1 large sour cream

2/3 cups sugar

2 egg yolks

1 Tbsp flour

pinch of salt

dash of cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Cook raisins in 1 cup of water until tender about 5 minutes, drain.  Add remaining ingredients the drained raisins and cook until thick 1 or 2 minutes.  Poor into baked pie shell and cool.  Once cool over with meringue or whipped cream.  My preference is whipped cream.

Don't be afraid to try this pie, it is Blue Ribbon quality!

Pie Crust Pastry

2 Cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable disheartening

1 egg

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt.  Add shortening to the flour mixture cutting in with a pastry blender until well blended.  Mix together egg, water and vinegar making sure mixture is cold.  Add to flour and shortening mix with a fork.  Divide dough into two and create two discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll out pastry, place in pie pan and fill.