THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’

Make a nice pastry and line a buttered pie plate with it, bake in a quick oven, and while warm spread quickly with red raspberries, and heap on these a meringue made of the whites of two eggs beaten stiff with two spoonfuls of sugar. Mix a few of the berries in the meringue, brown lightly and eat when it is cool.

~Diamond Dye Cook Book, No. 3. Montreal: The Wells Richardson Co. Limited, 1900.

THE UPDATED RECIPE

• one 9-inch diameter uncooked pastry shell
• 2 1/2 c. fresh raspberries
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Prepare sufficient pastry for a 9-inch diameter pie shell (try this one: Karn’s Pastry – I doubled the recipe and then used 3/4 of the pastry to make the pie shell base).

Lightly frease a 9-inch pie plate with butter, and line it with the pastry.

Pierce the crust randomly with a sharp-tined fork, on the sides and bottom.

Bake the pie shell in a preheated oven at 400F. for approximately 12 minutes, or until faintly golden. (Do not over-bake, as it will brown further, after the filling has been added.)

Meanwhile, clean and measure the berries.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, using a rotary beater. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the meringue forms stiff peaks, and has a glossy appearance.

Gently fold half a cup of the raspberries into the meringue.

When the pastry shell is faintly golden, remove it from the oven.

Immediately spread the remaining 2 cups of berries into the shell.

Smooth the meringue mixture over the berries int he shell, so that it touches the pastry all around the edge.

Return the pie to the oven, and bake at 400F. for about 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until the meringue is faintly golden brown.

Remove from the oven, and allow the pie to cool before serving.

‘Raspberries in Ambush’ is best served as soon as possible after it is cooled.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings.

This dessert is melt-in-your-mouth wonderful – equally delightful to the palate, as its name is to the ear.

A note from Patricia: I just made this to feed to my mother for a lunch dessert. I used gluten-free flour for the pastry and was a bit concerned as this was my first time making pastry. It wasn’t a perfect pie crust to look at (I’m a pastry newbie), but my mom and I were amazed at how good this dessert was. Not too sweet, bursting with berry flavour, light and fluffy…. It was divine. I will be making this again and again, and even now, as I type this, I’m considering hitting the fridge for another slice.

And…. sharing the photo below of my friends Joan (left) and Sophie (right), who made “Raspberries in Ambush” over this past Father’s Day weekend. Love this!