Sweet Short-Crust Pastry
6 T unsalted butter, chilled and 1½ c unsifted flour
cut into ¼-inch bits ¼ tsp salt
2 T lard, chilled and cut into 1 T sugar
¼-inch bits 3 to 4 T ice water
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TO PREPARE THE PASTRY DOUGH: In a large chilled bowl, combine the
butter and lard bits, the flour, salt and sugar. With your fingertips, rub
the flour and fat together until the mixture looks like flakes of coarse
meal.Pour 3 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture all at once, toss together lightly and gather the dough into a ball. If the dough crumbles, add up to 1 tablespoon more ice water by drops until the particles adhere. Dust the pastry dough with a little flour and wrap it in wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
Spread 1 tablespoon of softened butter over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan with a pastry brush.
On a lightly floured surface, pat the chilled short-crust pastry dough into a rough circle about 1 inch thick. Dust a little flour over and under it, and roll it out from the center to within an inch of the far edge of the circle. Lift the dough and turn it clockwise about 2 inches; roll again from the center to within an inch or so of the far edge. Repeat--lifting, turning, rolling--until the circle is about 1/8 inch thick and 13 to 14 inches in diameter. If the dough sticks to the board or table, lift it gently with a metal spatula and sprinkle a little flour under it. Drape the dough over the rolling pin, lift it up, and unroll it slackly over the buttered pie pan. Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, taking care not to stretch it. With a pair of scissors, cut off the excess dough from the edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang all around the outside rim. Tuck the overhang under the edge all around and crimp it with your fingers or the tines of a fork.
Preheat the oven to 400°. To prevent the pie shell from buckling as it bakes, spread a piece of buttered aluminum foil across the pan and press it gently into the bottom and against the sides of the pie shell. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake for 4 or 5 minutes longer, or until the pastry is lightly browned. Remove the pie shell from the oven and cool to room temperature before filling.
PIE FILLING
1 c plus 6 T sugar 2 T unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch bits
2 T flour 1½ c coarsely chopped seedless raisins
1 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c milk 3 egg whites
4 egg yolks
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Combine 1 cup of the sugar, the flour and salt, and sift them together
onto a plate or sheet of wax paper. In a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan, heat
the milk over moderate heat until bubbles form around the sides of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep the milk warm.With a wire whisk or a rotary or electric beater, beat the egg yolks in a bowl for a minute or two. Slowly add the sugar-and-flour mixture and continue to beat until the yolks are thick enough to fall in a ribbon when the beater is lifted from the bowl. Add the hot milk in a thin stream, beating all the while. Then pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
Add the butter bits and, stirring deeply into the sides and bottom of the pan with a whisk or a wooden spoon, cook gently over moderate heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the custard thickens into a smooth heavy cream. Do not let the custard boil at any point but cook it long enough to remove any taste of raw flour.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the raisins and vanilla, and pour the custard into the pie shell. Cool to room temperature, cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the custard is firm to the touch.
Preheat the oven to 425°. With a wire whisk or a rotary or electric beater, beat the egg whites until they are stiff enough to stand in unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl. Beat in the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar by the spoonful. Scoop the meringue over the custard, then spread it smoothly and make decorative swirls with a metal spatula. Bake the pie in the upper third of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to brown the meringue lightly.
Serve the pie warm or at room temperature. Makes one 9-inch pie.
