Shortbread crusted pie with a sticky sweet raspberry filling is perfect paired with ice cream for a summer dessert.
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Every summer when I was growing up my family would take a trip to Martha’s Vineyard, a small island off the coast of Massachusetts. There was a little Scottish bakery that had the best raspberry pie with shortbread crust, it was just so buttery and flakey. It was my dad’s all-time favorite pie and when we would leave at the end of each trip he would stop at the bakery and buy some in bulk to bring home. I’m not talking one or two – it was more like 6 pies. One summer we went back to the Vineyard and the Scottish bakery was closed. My dad was crushed. This raspberry pie recipe is as close as I could get to the real thing.
Raspberry – Tart, fresh raspberries pair well with the crumbly shortbread crust in this pie. Raspberries are a delicate berry – store them unwashed in an open container in the fridge and use within a few days of buying.
Cornstarch – Adding cornstarch to the raspberry filling helps to thicken it so it doesn’t leak out of the pie when it’s cut.
Shortbread crust – Shortbread crust, also called sablé breton in French, is a crust made simply with butter (a lot of it), sugar, flour and salt. I add a bit of cream just to act as a binder rather than using water as well as lemon juice to contrast the raspberry filling, adding additional water if needed to bring together the dough.
Demerara sugar – Also known as turbinado sugar or sugar in the raw. This sugar is minimally processed, evident in the larger granules. It comes from the first pressing of sugar cane and thus retains that natural, richer flavor. Because of the bigger granules of sugar it’s often used for finishing desserts like the crust on this raspberry pie recipe.
How to Make Raspberry Pie with Shortbread Crust
Step 1: Mix the base.
Add the flour, egg, sugar, cream and lemon juice, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse for a few seconds to combine the ingredients then add the butter and pulse again until the dough comes together in large chunks. If needed the butter can be cut in by hand using a pastry cutter.
Step 2: Shape dough.
Turn out the dough onto a clean workspace and work the dough until it becomes smooth. Add additional ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed. Shape the dough into a smooth large ball.
Step 3: Chill dough.
Cut the dough so that one ball is about 2/3 of the dough and form each into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Roll out dough.
Roll out the larger ball of the dough into a 12-inch circle. Evenly press it into a 9″ pie dish, leaving an overhang of about ½-inch.
Step 5: Par-bake crust.
Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Add a piece of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice. Bake until the dough is firm. about 12 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and let cool completely.
Step 6: Simmer sugar mixture.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and ¾ cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Step 7: Add raspberries.
Bring the mixture to a boil then stir in 2 cups of the raspberries, let cook until the mixture has thickened, about an additional minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Step 8: Add remaining raspberries.
Once the mixture is cool, gently fold the remaining raspberries into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the crust.
Step 9: Cut lattice strips.
Roll out second dough disk on a lightly floured surface to 13-inch circle. Cut the dough into 8 (1-inch-wide) strips. Arrange 4 strips across the pie.
Step 10: Add lattice
Form lattice by arranging 4 strips diagonally across first strips. Gently press the ends into the crust edges using the tines of a fork. Brush the lattice with the egg wash mixture then sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
Step 11: Bake the pie.
Bake until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling, about 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the pie halfway through cooking.
Step 12: Let cool and cut.
Let the pie cool completely and slice into equal portions. Serve at room temperature or warmed with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this raspberry pie recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
3 ¼cupsall-purpose flour,plus additional for rolling
2eggs,lightly beaten
½cupgranulated sugar
2tablespoonsheavy cream
1tablespoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
2teaspoonskosher salt
1cupunsalted butter,chilled and cut into ½” chunks (16 tablespoons)
For the raspberry pie filling:
1cupgranulated sugar
½cupcornstarch
½teaspoonkosher salt
1tablespoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
5cupsfresh raspberries,divided
1tablespoonunsalted butter
1egg yolk,beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water
1tablespoondemerara sugar
Instructions:
For the shortbread crust:
Add the flour, egg, sugar, cream and lemon juice, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse for a few seconds to combine the ingredients then add the butter and pulse again until the dough comes together in large chunks.
Turn out the dough onto a clean workspace and work the dough until it becomes smooth. Add additional ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed. Shape the dough into a smooth large ball.
Cut the dough so that one ball is about 2/3 of the dough and form each into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the larger ball of the dough into a 12-inch circle. Evenly press it into a 9" pie dish, leaving an overhang of about ½-inch.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Add a piece of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice. Bake until the dough is firm about 12 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and let cool completely.
For the raspberry pie filling:
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and ¾ cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Stir in 2 cups of the raspberries, let cook until the mixture has thickened, about an additional minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Once the mixture is cool, gently fold the remaining raspberries into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the crust.
Roll out second dough disk on a lightly floured surface to 13-inch circle. Cut the dough into 8 (1-inch-wide) strips. Arrange 4 strips across the pie.
Form lattice by arranging 4 strips diagonally across first strips. Gently press the ends into the crust edges using the tines of a fork. Brush the lattice with the egg wash mixture then sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
Bake until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling, about 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the pie halfway through cooking.
Let the pie cool completely and slice into equal portions. Serve at room temperature or warmed with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
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@cookingwithcocktailrings
Omg I was just talking about the Scottish bake house rassberry pie yesterday and decided to look up how to make a similar pie! I have the cook book from bakery but it’s not in it. Excited to try. The pie from the bakery was last thing I ate before going in labour with my son.( my parents brought me back a pie from vacation) !!’
Omg I was just talking about the Scottish bake house rassberry pie yesterday and decided to look up how to make a similar pie! I have the cook book from bakery but it’s not in it. Excited to try. The pie from the bakery was last thing I ate before going in labour with my son.( my parents brought me back a pie from vacation) !!’
Ah I love that so much!!!! It’s the best! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This is exactly the recipe I was looking for, inspired by the same bakery. Thank you so much!
I’m so happy to hear that!! I hope you enjoy the recipe! I still miss that bakery!