Yvonne Rose shares Cranberry Pie recipe

It’s been written, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” However, Pawhuska Library Director Yvonne Rose’s cookbook might be a reason for second thoughts when it comes to supporting the validity of that particular quote. Yvonne’s grandmother Grace Adams McCarty’s recipe for Cranberry Pie was taken from the first Edition of the 1950 Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook!

An additional piece of rich history regarding Grace Adam McCarty is she worked for several years as a seamstress at the original Pawhuska Mercantile, now home of The Pioneer Woman Mercantile! Through Yvonne’s grandmother’s tenure at the Mercantile, she established quite a name for herself as an excellent tailor. That success led her to subsequently opening her own business which she ran from her home, doing custom tailoring using her single button hole Pfaff sewing machine. Yvonne resides in her grandmother’s home to this very day.

YVONNE’S CRANBERRY PIE

Make pastry for Two-Crust Pie of desired size. Use minimum or maximum amount of sugar according to tartness desired.

INGREDIENTS: Mix together in a saucepan:

For 9” Pie 1 ½ to 2 cups sugar

4 tbsp. GOLD MEDAL Flour

1/3 tsp. salt

2 ¾ cups halved cranberries

½ cup water

½ tsp. almond extract (after removing from heat)

For 8” Pie 1 to 1 ½ cups sugar

3 tbsp. GOLD MEDAL Flour

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups halved cranberries

1/3 cup water

1/3 tsp. almond extract (after removing from heat)

Bring slowly to a boil, and boil gently 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and blend in almond extract. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Cover with top crust. Bake at 425 degrees until crust is nicely browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve slightly warm.

YVONNE’S METHOD:

Place cranberries, water, and sugar in a two quart stovetop pan and cook until berries “pop.” No need to halve berries! Pour “popped” cranberries into pie crust of your choice, and bake as above.

If you wish, ¾ to 1 cup of raisins may be cooked with the cranberries. Increase water to 1 cup.

You may wish to use a lattice top crust – to allow juice from the berries to bubble up. Also, place a cookie sheet or foil under the pie as it bakes to save on clean-up.

Now, how’s that for a little LOCAL FLAVOR??!!