Recipe: Cranberry Raisin Pie
(Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Knopf by Marion Cunningham)

This months recipe is truly one of my holiday favorites. It tastes unexpectedly good for the tiny amount of work it takes to make; you simply soak raisins, stir in fresh cranberries and seasonings, enclose it in pie pastry and you have fresh pie! No cutting or peeling, no fruit juices spilling over to the oven floor, just a great dessert.

This recipe is from the revised version of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham, which was an updated version of the classic originally published in 1896. This huge undertaking was done by Marion, who since has become one of most beloved cooks of our generation. Seeing her in person is always a real treat, as what she says is usually funny, insightful, and appropriate. Knowledge gained through a lifetime of experience. I often think that someone should be following her around, taking notes. We bonded instantly when I worked at Chez Panisse and I found someone who likes butterscotch almost as much as I do. Marion has a real sweet tooth and is always cooking up something at home, like waffles with creamed chicken for a simple supper or a batch of pecan pralines to snack on.

One thing I think about cookbooks (and there are so many of them to think about!) is that if a book has one good recipe that you use over and over again, it's worthwhile. So I've had my gigantic copy of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook for well over a decade and the only two recipes I've ever made are the Macaroni and Cheese, and the Cranberry Raisin Pie; I've made both recipes countless times and when I look at the wall of cookbooks that I own and rarely ever use, that's a real bargain.

If you don't want to go through the motions of making and rolling a pie crust (you can use my recipe for a super-flaky crust in Room For Dessert) or check in my recipe archive for the blackberry cobbler and make the buttermilk biscuits, adding them atop the fruits once they're almost thoroughly cooked and bubbly.

This recipe has a real sweet/tart thing going on, which is a favorite of mine in desserts, and vanilla ice cream alongside is mandatory!

Cranberry-Raisin Pie
(Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Knopf by Marion Cunningham)

2 cups dark raisins

Pastry dough for 9-inch two-crust pie

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (not dried)

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup Grand Marnier or cream sherry (see note)

2 teaspoons fresh orange zest

Soak the raisins for at least 2 hours in a bowl in water to cover. Drain. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one sheet of pastry dough. Mix together the raisins with the cranberries, flour, sugar, Grand Marnier or sherry, and orange zest.

Put the filling into the lined pie plate and spread evenly. Roll the top crust and drape it over the top. Crimp together the edges and poke several vents in the top. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes, until the juices bubble and the top is browned.

Note: If you don't want to add the alcohol, substitute orange juice.

One of my favorite stories that Marion ever told me was that she got a letter from someone who was making one of her recipes and they'd looked everywhere for powdered sherry. She told the person she had no idea what they were talking about. They replied that her recipe called for 'dry sherry', which they assumed was powdered sherry!