Cranberry Cream Pie

 

Some time ago I winnowed out the hundreds of scribbled down or clipped out recipes I had stashed here and there in my kitchen and cookbooks.  I found places to file them, sorted some to sell on Etsy, and ended up with a large envelope of them that I didn't quite know what to do with.  I couldn't seem to make up my mind whether to keep them or throw them away.

While planning for Christmas in July, I decided to pull out a recipe from this envelope -- I would pick the first one I came to that sounded the least bit Christmasy!  Living dangerously.  Well, this one actually sounds like a pretty good pick, and somewhat unusual.  I don't think I have seen a recipe for a cranberry cream pie before.  I'll definitely be trying this one.

 

I'll type the recipe out here in case it's not too readable. 

CRANBERRY CREAM PIE

12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided use
1 cup water
2 egg yolks, room temperature
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 baked 9-inch pie shell
8 ounces whipped topping like Cool Whip®

In a heavy large saucepan, combine the cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and the water.  Cook over medium high heat until very thick, about 10 minutes.

Mix together the egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and cornstarch.  Add to berries, stir in sour cream, and cook until thick, about 4 minutes.

Pour filling into pie crust.  

Chill for at least 8 hours or overnight before serving.  Just before serving, spread the whipped topping over the pie.

A couple of notes: my mother taught me that when a recipe calls for 2 egg yolks, and there is no use for the whites, to just substitute 1 egg.  That's probably what I'll do.  And also, I think real whipped cream is much tastier and healthier than Cool Whip, so I will likely whip up a pint of heavy cream with a couple tablespoons of confectioners sugar (or maple syrup) and a tablespoon of vanilla.

What do you think?  Would you try this recipe?  I definitely will.