Recipe: L.A. Schools Sour Cream Raisin Pie (1960's)

L.A. SCHOOLS SOUR CREAM RAISIN PIE
From the Los Angeles Unified School District.

A staggeringly luscious pie that could easily have come from the '30s or '40s, but the recipe card is dated February 1968.

1 1/3 cups raisins
Boiling water
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 (9-inch) prepared pie shell, baked until light brown and cooled
Meringue (recipe follows)

Barely cover raisins with boiling water; let stand 1 hour. Drain well.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Add sour cream, buttermilk, egg yolks and lemon juice. Add drained raisins. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened to pudding-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.

When filling is cool, spread filling into prepared pie shell. Spread meringue on top of pie.

Bake at 425 degrees F to brown meringue, about 5 minutes.

MERINGUE

3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Beat egg whites, vanilla and salt until light and foamy; add cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks; add sugar gradually and beat to stiff peaks.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Source: Los Angeles Times newspaper, August 25, 1999