Red Currant Pie

Mike and I went back to my parent’s house in New York this weekend.  We traveled around Seneca Lake wine country and went to some of our favorite spots in Rochester.  We filled up on grilled and smoked goodness, because our apartment doesn’t allow us to have a grill, and relaxed by the pool. While we were there, my mother and I made this pie for dessert.  The bright red currents are flecked through the puffy white meringue and look gorgeous when sliced.  My mother first made this for my bridal shower last year, and it was so pretty.

This dough seems to be far more forgiving, and much easier to make than regular pie dough, so if you are intimidated by standard pie crusts, don’t let that stop you here.

For best results, when beating egg whites, be sure to bring them to room temperature first.

Red Currant Pie

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

 

Pie Dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, about 1 lemon
 

Currant Meringue Filling:

2 egg whites
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 1/4 cups red currants

 

In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking powder to lighten. Mix in butter, sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest with a fork until mixture forms dough.  Lightly knead several times in bowl to form dough into ball; wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough into approximately an 11″ round and place into a 9 inch springform pan (I think a 9″ pie plate would work well too, but haven’t tried this yet).  Gently press in bottom of pan and up the side.  The dough should extend about 1 inch up from base of pan.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden-yellow.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Raise oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare the filling, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff.  Add cornstarch, and then gradually add sugar; beat for 5 minutes. Fold currants into meringue and spoon into slightly cooled crust.  Smooth mixture evenly into crust. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.


Comments

  1. Mom says

    I’m not sure what I enjoyed the most your visit, picking the currents or eating the pie. I would have to say baking together.

  2. Cheryl Stowell says

    Absolutely one of the best presentations of capturing the beauty of this pie. Can not wait to test out recipe and to enjoy the first bite. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Steve says

    This looks AMAZING, as does everything else that comes from your kitchen! I need to come over and eat before the opportunity has passed.

  4. Timo says

    The pie looked so good and since red currants are in season, a friend and I tried your recipe. It was delish – especially the lemon in the crust made an impact with our friends – even if ours didn’t turn out quite as pretty as yours. Probably should’ve beaten the egg whites a bit longer. Here’s a picture with crappy lighting if you or anyone’s interested.

    • says

      I’m not sure; I’d love to know how it comes out if you try a different berry. Wild blueberries would probably be awesome too…

  5. Moriah says

    I can’t wait to try this recipe– quick question though. Is this the kind of dish that must be eaten right away or can it stand to be made a day or two in advance before serving?

    • says

      Thanks! I’ve always made it in the morning, and served it after dinner. You may be able to make it up to a day in advance, but I haven’t tried it.

  6. Alexandra says

    Hi, Just a quick message to say I’ve used your recipe last night and it came out great, good way to use red currants.

    Didn’t have lemon though, so used orange zest for the pie dough, also used no cornflour for the filling, but still got a good result. Mine didn’t cut as nice as yours and the crust did crumble/stuck to the pan, but then again I am no expert baker! As evelyn said, I had to pat the crust in the form, mine did roll but broke when I lifted it.

    Thanks again !

  7. Scott Wyatt says

    I just picked a bunch of red currants in Alaska. Your recipe is what I will use to treat the currants properly. I can’t thank you enough. Live well and prosper!

  8. Maria says

    I made this with cranberries. Used orange zest in the pastry, along with a little cinnamon and it turned out delicious!

  9. Kim says

    Made this beautiful pie for my in-laws using currants from their garden; it was outstanding! Because I don’t have much faith in my pastry abilities, I simply gently pressed the dough into a spring form pan and refrigerated it for half an hour, instead of refrigerating and then rolling it out. It came out wonderfully light, much to my surprise and pleasure. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

  10. James Maberry says

    I raise pink currants (gloire de sablon) and white currants( slovenian blanka) and would appreciate it if you have any suggestions for torts using these fruits. I supply these fruits in season to fine restaurants and the local cider industry. I must branch out now and am looking for ideas for new products such as torts and pies for the natural grocers to carry. I also raise aronia berries and asian pears. Any suggestions you might have would be most welcome. I am a young retiree with lots of ambition but not much experience. Thank you in advance for any help you might bring my way.
    James Maberry ( Annie Heller’s Orchard)

  11. ssm500@york.ac.uk says

    Greetings from the UK – just made this pie with some local red currants – husband can’t even wait for it to get cold – its gorgeous <3

  12. Sian says

    The recipe looked amazing was so looking forward to making it. The dough was not easy as stated. It rolled but broke when lifted so I had to press into pie tin. Cooked and exactly as recipe, crust was dry and stuck to the pan making it difficult to serve. Sadly the meringue wasn’t great either. So a shame and not one for my recipe file.

  13. Keith says

    Well, a pie plate seems ok but the crust expand when cooked and the level that is left almost isn’t big enough. Perhaps the spring form pan is better as it would rise inside carrying the sides upwards

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