Sour cream raisin pie is old fashioned, rich and spicy, and dappled all through with raisins. I’ve added walnuts and a shot of brandy, and then topped it off with a brown sugar meringue.

Raisin Walnut Meringue Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry:

Classic Pie Pastry for one 9 inch single crust pie

1 egg white

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon coarse or turbinado sugar

Filling:

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

3 large egg yolks

1½ cups sour cream

1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1½ cups raisins

½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons brandy or rum

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Meringue:

3 large egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Pastry:

1. Prepare Classic Pie Pastry for a 9 inch single-crust pie. Line a 9 inch pie pan with the bottom pastry. Trim the pastry to one inch beyond the edge of the pie pan, turn the edges under. Flute the edges. Lightly prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate pie shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
   
   
3. Line the pie pastry with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a large coffee filter. Fill the pastry with pie weights or dried beans or rice to keep the pastry from puffing up and shrinking.
   
   Bake:
4. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven; carefully remove the paper and pie weights or beans.
   
   
5. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with the water. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin coat of egg white over the entire pastry. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the fluted edges
   
   
6. Return to the oven and continue to bake another 5 to 6 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool on a wire cooling rack.
   
   
7. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
   
   
8. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Add egg yolks, sour cream, and lemon juice and stir until smooth. Stir in raisins, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping over the bottom of the pan to prevent the mixture from burning, until mixture thickens & boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in walnuts, brandy or rum, and vanilla.
   
   
9. Pour the hot filling into the baked pie shell. Place the pie in the heated oven to keep the filling very hot before adding the meringue.
   
   Brown Sugar Meringue:
10. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla; increase the mixer speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
    
    
11. Remove pie from oven. Drop tablespoons of meringue in a ring around the edge of the hot filling making sure the meringue completely touches the edge of the pie crust to prevent shrinking. Then fill in the center with remaining meringue, spreading the meringue to cover the filling completely. Gently press down on the meringue to fill in any air pockets. Swirl the meringue with the back of the spoon to form attractive swirls and peaks.
    
    Bake:
12. Return pie to oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until most of the meringue is a golden brown. Tip: During baking, if edges of crust are getting too brown, place a ring of foil over the fluted edge, but keep the meringue uncovered.
    
    
13. Remove pie from oven. Cool on a wire cooling rack, away from drafts to prevent the meringue from weeping.
    
    Serve:
14. Meringue pies are best served as soon as cooled. Or, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to serve. Leftover pie should be loosely covered with an aluminum foil tent. Do not cover with plastic wrap as condensation will form under the plastic.
    
    Makes 8 to 10 servings.
    
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