Fresh Raspberry Crumb Pie

---

A graham cracker crust gives a nice sweetness to this fruit-forward pie (you can also buy a premade crust.

Just in time for the Fourth of July

As a teenager, I loved pouring over the Sunday L.A. Times section by section. That was back in the day when the entire newspaper weighed a few pounds, and the Food section was my favorite. Years before the internet, the paper was one way to get new recipes without buying a book or subscribing to a magazine. Fast forward to this last Sunday, and the Times featured berry pie recipes. Overshopping as I have been, I happened to have enough raspberries to try this recipe. The results were delicious, and so I’m passing it on to you. Follow the link at the end of the article if you are interested in the blueberry pie as well.

Driscoll’s berries are my favorite. They are always fresh and just the right color.

This pie does not take a lot of time to make but be sure to allow enough time for chilling

---

Fresh Raspberry Crumb Pie

Yield: 6-8 servings

Graham Cracker Crust

1. 12 whole graham crackers (about 6 ounces)

2. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3. 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4. ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

   Raspberry Filling

5. 1 ½ pound fresh raspberries (about 4 ½ cups or four 6-ounce plastic containers), cleaned

6. ½ cup granulated sugar

7. 3 tablespoons cornstarch

8. ½ teaspoon kosher salt

9. ¾ cup of filtered water

10. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

11. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12. 1 cup cold heavy cream

13. ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional)

    Directions

    1. Make the graham cracker crust: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the graham crackers in a food processor, then pulse until finely ground; you should get just over 1 ½ cups crumbs. Drizzle in the butter, then sprinkle in the sugar and salt and pulse again until the crumbs are evenly moistened. (Alternatively, place the graham crackers in a large, resealable plastic bag, close the bag, then use a rolling pin or small skillet to finely crush them. Pour in the butter, sugar, and salt, close the bag again, and massage the ingredients together until the crumbs are evenly moistened.)

    2. Scrape the crumbs into a 9-inch metal or glass pie pan. Spread them evenly over the bottom and up the side of the pan with your fingers until they’re flush with the edge of the pan. Then use a 1/3-cup dry measuring cup to compact the crumbs evenly against the side and bottom of the pan to create a uniformly even, smooth surface. Bake until the crust is set and lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pie plate to a rack to cool while you make the pie filling.

    3. Make the pie filling: Place the raspberries in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the water until smooth. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring steadily with the whisk, until the mixture bubbles and thickens to the consistency of a very stiff gel, 3 to 4 minutes, then continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla while hot.

    4. Scrape the gel over the berries in the bowl, then use a large rubber or silicone spatula to gently fold the berries with the gel until fully coated (some of the berries will break down into the gel; that’s what you want). Immediately spoon the raspberry filling into the cooled pie crust, mounding it up slightly if necessary. (After removing each spoonful of berries, gently re-stir the berries in the bowl to ensure the gel stays evenly mixed with them.) Smooth the top of the berries and let the pie cool while you whip the cream.

    5. Either by hand or using an electric mixer, beat the cream and powdered sugar, if using, in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Pile the whipped cream on top of the filling and spread it evenly over the pie. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight, to fully set. Cut the pie with a serrated knife and serve chilled.

The crust had not cooled completely when the gel was ready, so I let it sit and added a few drops of water and reheated it when I was ready to toss it with the raspberries.

You can add the whipped cream right before serving or before you chill it.

---

The sweetness in this pie is not overwhelming

Will this be on your table for the Fourth?

Photos by L.A. Times and author.

To find the recipe for the blueberry pie, link here.

Follow me on Instagram for my day to day finds and favorites.

---

Other posts from For the love of mary…