MOCK CHERRY PIE
Gold Medal Flour Cook Book, 1910

Made with fresh cranberries, this beautiful crimson pie has its own wonderful zesty flavor reminiscent of sour cherries. Since cherries are easier to find most of the year than cranberries are, we should call cherry pie "Mock Cranberry Pie." Pretty as a Poinsettia, this pie will become a holiday tradition at your house. Top with a lattice crust.

"Cover the bottom of a pie plate with paste. Reserve enough for upper crust. For filling use 1 cup of cranberries cut in halves, 1/2 cup raisins seeded and cut in pieces, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon Gold Medal flour, lump of butter size of walnut. Bake thirty minutes in moderate oven. Some like a little more sugar.”

Author’s note: In 1920, raisins were often bought still on the stalk, and needed to be cut up to remove the seeds. You can keep them whole.

This adaptation works a bit better:

3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 of a fresh lemon, juice and rind
butter, walnut-size
pastry for pie crust and lattice top

Add cornstarch and sugar to cold water; cook until it’s clear.

Add berries and raisins, and cook a couple of minutes until cranberry skins pop.

Stir in lemon juice and rind. Add butter and pour into an unbaked pie crust. Cover with a lattice top crust, crimp.

Bake at 400 degrees F about 30 minutes until filling bubbles.

Source: The Lost Art of Pie Making Made Easy by Swell Barbara