Sour Cream Raspberry Pie

Do you have a pie-maker in your family? You know, that person you count on to bring the showstopper pie to each and every holiday meal, picnic and potluck? In my family, we have five. Yes, I said five. My mom is the go-to for currant cream, apple and pumpkin. My sister-in-law, Trudy, is the queen of meringue and needs little advance notice to whip up a chocolate, lemon or coconut delicacy. My sister-in-law, Deb, loves to experiment with twists on the traditional, like a chocolate/bourbon/pecan. My fellow math geek niece, Anjouli, once made a bacon-topped, macaroni and cheese version for Pi(e) Day … just because! And I think you all know by now that I have a border-line unhealthy crush on pie (making and eating).

This may sound like bragging but it’s really not. It’s to your benefit to know this because it means I have a plethora of recipes to share with you and the experts to help make sure you get all the tips and tricks too.

Today I want to introduce you to a cream pie recipe that is slightly unusual but amazingly delicious. Given that I called it “unusual”, you may have guessed it was introduced to us by my sister-in-law, Deb. The first time she said she made a sour cream raspberry pie, I was pretty upset that she had wasted some of the precious raspberries from the family farm (a.k.a. her garden) on a long-shot recipe. One look at it and I was eating my words … and her pie!

The balance of this recipe comes from the tanginess of the sour cream. There is enough sugar in the recipe to ensure the sweetness needed for dessert but the raspberries maintain the tartness they sometimes lose when paired with traditional cream ingredients. I added the small amounts of almond extract and cardamom to the recipe because I like a hint of warmth and nuttiness with fruit.

You don’t have to use a homemade crust but if you want to, this recipe is worth the effort.

Serving this pie is always fun because it is impressive. The berries distribute through the cream and  the filling sets up beautifully.

Earlier this spring, I made this recipe using a combination of blueberries and rhubarb. Successful experiment!

I’m thinking this fall may be a good time to try a peach-blackberry version. Cranberries for Thanksgiving anyone?

Speaking of Thanksgiving … I think our family might have to start a new dinner tradition: pie buffet!

Sour Cream Raspberry Pie

This pie has the perfect balance of tart and sweet! Sour cream adds a tanginess that keeps the berries from becoming overly sweet. A hint of cardamom adds warmth and depth. Do not worry ... this pie will still satisfy your dessert cravings!

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom optional
• 4 cups fresh raspberries
• 1 9-inch pie crust unbaked
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Mix sugar, flour and salt together until no lumps remain.
• Add sour cream, almond extract and cardamom and mix until well incorporated.
• Pour 1/3 of cream mixture into bottom of pie crust. Add half of the raspberries. Repeat layers ending with cream mixture.
• Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of sugar over the top of the filling.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 400°.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325° and continue baking for 50-60 minutes. Top of pie should be lightly browned and the center should be set.
  
• Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

Keyword pie, raspberries, recipe, sour cream, summer