I base my recipe on one I found when I inherited my grandmother’s copy of  The United States Regional Cook Book, copyright 1949, which provides the interesting tidbit that another name for raisin pie is funeral pie. In the pioneer days, people often had to travel a long distance to funerals. Of course, they had ‘dinner on the grounds’, and raisin pie was favored because of the general availability of raisins and because the pie would keep on a journey of days. Although the pie does not keep for days around here.

I got this photo of the remaining two pieces from last night, before they were scarfed up.

Gluten-Free Raisin Pie

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Filling:

• 3 cups dark raisins
• 1 cup each orange juice and water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons tapioca or arrowroot starch
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring often until the mixture thickens, about ten minutes. I’m guessing there, and everyone’s stove is different. Set aside to cool (it will thicken even more) while you make the crust.

Pastry crust of your choice. For gluten-free, I recommend Gluten-Free Pantry Pie Crust Mix. Line a 10 inch pie pan with the crust. I’ve resorted to just patting the bottom crust into place.

Pour the filling into the pie crust. Traditional topping for a raising pie is lattice work pastry. I roll out a circle of gluten-free pastry and cut it into triangles that I arrange on the top, leaving wide open spaces of filling. This not only makes a nice design, but it is easy to do.

Bake on the bottom rack of the oven at 425 degrees for 10 min and then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook another 20 – 25 minutes, or until the crust is looking nicely golden. Best when cooled completely to serve.

And our little Sweetie-Pie had whipped cream on his.

Since I’m not a real cook, someone be sure and email me if you see a mistake in the recipe.

Blessings,
CurtissAnn