My Mom's Raisin Pie (Week 48)

Here's the deal.....this post has no food pictures!  When you make this pie you will totally understand why.....it has this nasty way of disappearing   In our house, poor Mom is not allowed to show up at any family gathering without it and we trade all the other left overs for it.  It is AMAZING with a cup of hot coffee first thing in the morning (I am justifying this as a breakfast item since it has raisins.....my version of Raisin Bran).

I had this printed in the Dubsic-Lucich Family Cookbook (more on this in the next paragraph) but sitting here away from the bookshelf got me a bit lazy so I called Mom.....direct source is always best so the recipe is a transcript of our conversation.

On the family cookbook:  my wonderful sister (and best pal, partner in crime) enlisted the help of her students and some 10+ years ago did a simple, Xerox cookbook of the family favorites.  It was quick and she did an amazing job.  When my Cousin Laura and her crew decided to throw another family reunion, Stephanie and I got the brainy idea that we should update it "professionally" and add family history...Oh My GOD....what the HELL were we thinking.  It was  a nightmare to put together and getting recipes out of my busy family members was like pulling teeth (with no anesthesia )  Funny thing is.....as soon as it was produced (and sold AT COST), they wanted to know where "this" or "that" was in the book and why we didn't add "this" or "that" (such as Teta So-n-So recipe for the most obscure cookie in history). It's safe to say that Volume III will be out the summer of "when hell freezes over!"

For all my blog fans.....you get the three photos from our book - 1) the authors - above; 2) below my Baba Dubsic-Lucich's wedding picture and 3) my Teta Anna Dubsic-Ivancovich's wedding picture......we paid extra $ per book to add these!!

My Mom's Raisin Nut Pie

Me:  "Hey Mom, Can you read my your Raisin Pie Recipe.  I want to blog it"
Mom:  "Well....I don't know.  Maybe I don't want to let my secrets out <laughing>.
It came from the Madera Fair and I altered it a bit."
Me:  "Mom, I don't want their recipe  - I want YOURS"
Mom: "OK. Here ya go.  I make it in the 10 inch Pyrex pie pan....oh hold on.....let me measure it.  You know, I always wanted them to make it at Marie Calendars."
Me: "Well... personally they were stupid not selling this pie!"
Mom: "It's pretty expensive to make...that's probably why!  emmmm...the bottom says....just a second....darn....this has to be 10.  Oh wait, it does say ten. It's bigger than a Marie Calendars!"

1 c. white corn syrup
1 c. brown sugar ...."say scant....I make it on the short side."
1/3 c. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
"1 cap full of good brandy"
3 whole large eggs
1 c. chopped nuts ..."I use over a cup.  Maybe a cup and a half....not fine but medium chop"
2 c. raisins (sun-dried Thompson) "the original said a cup and a 1/2 but I add more since the pie is bigger and I like less custard'
1/4 tsp. salt
Juice of 1/2 of a medium sized lemon
3 Tbsp. flour
1 pie uncooked crust

Using an electric mixer, mix syrup, sugar, salt, butter, juice, brandy and vanilla - beat till creamy   Lightly beat eggs in a separate bowl.  Pour the eggs in to the syrup mixture and beat lightly.  Place raisins in a zip lock bag and add 3 Tbsp. of flour.  Shake and dust with flour.  Pour raisins in to a wire mesh strainer, that "thing" or colander, to remove the excess flour and set aside. Fold raisins in to the custard mixture with spatula by hand.  Pour in to prepared 10 inch uncooked pie shell.

Evenly sprinkle 1 cup or more of chopped nuts over the custard filling.  Lightly press nuts down and bake at 350 approximately 45 minutes or until center is a slightly soft.

Mom:  "Do you know what I mean here? The center is a little soft when you touch it....I have made it when it hard all the way across and that was OK.  It should be firm but dead center should be a little soft.  Not squishy like the ones I made for your birthday."
Me:  "Mom, I would have ate it RAW"
Mom:  "Don't for get to write in there that you need to serve it in skinny slices.....
Me:  "and I thought that was so I could have MORE pie to my self after the guests left?"
Mom: ".....with strong coffee.  Very rich and delicious.  Tell them it's from their Teta Kay Lucich Zupanovich"

Thanks Mom!!  I love you!!