Elizabeth Ryan's Cranberry Pie

For cranberry lovers everywhere. This pie is nicely tart. Like mince pie, but better! I keep imagining it served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (I have to imagine it because I don't have any ice cream at this time.) This recipe was published in Food & Wine, back in 1992.

Elizabeth Ryan's Cranberry Pie

Pie pastry — enough for a bottom and top crust
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 bag (12 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 Tbs butter, melted
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 egg, mixed with 2 tsp water for brushing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the pie pastry into a 12 inch circle. Place the dough in a 9 inch pie plate, fitting it evenly but without stretching. Leave the edge over hanging and refrigerate. Roll out remaining dough into a 12 inch circle and refrigerate.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and flour and set aside.

In a food processor, chop the cranberries until some are finely ground and the largest pieces are the size of peas. (About 2 minutes for frozen, or several pulses for fresh.)

Transfer cranberries to a medium bowl and add the raisins, walnuts, orange juice, melted butter, and orange zest. Thoroughly combine.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar-flour mixture into the bottom of the pie pan. Spoon in the cranberry mixture. Sprinkle the remaining sugar-flour mixture over the top. Top with the rolled out pie pastry. Fold the edges under and crimp as you like. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and cut several slits for steam to escape.

Place the pie on a baking sheeet and bake in the middle of the oven for about 50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling bubbles up through the slits. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Kitchen Chick's notes: I used regular brown raisins instead of sultans. Food & Wine provides Ryan's pie pastry recipe, but I used Penzey's easy dough recipe that I first posted with their peach pie. I also topped the crust with two tablespoons of sugar, for a pretty sparkling glaze.