| Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, Summer Entertaining Issue, August 2009 Serves 8-10 |
For the crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbl sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened but still cool
2 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
For the bottom raspberry layer:
12 oz frozen raspberries (about 2 cups)
3 Tbl pectin (Sure-Jell brand)
1 1/2 cups sugar
pinch salt
1 cup fresh raspberries
For the middle raspberry layer:
3 Tbl raspberry flavored gelatin (Jell-o brand)
3 Tbl boiling water
3 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
1 cup heavy cream, cold
For the top whipped cream layer:
1 1/3 cups heavy cream, cold
2 Tbl sugar
For the crust: Lightly coat a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Using the electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese at medium-high speed, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula once or twice. Add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15-20 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough forms large clumps, about 20-30 seconds.
Reserve 3 Tbl of the dough. Turn the remaining dough onto a lightly floured countertop, gather it into a ball, flatten it into a 6-inch disk using the heel of your hand, then transfer the disk to the greased pie plate. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate, using the heel of your hand. Roll the reserved 3 Tbl of dough into a 12-inch rope. Slice the rope into 3 pieces of equal length, then roll each piece into an 8-inch rope. Arrange the ropes around the perimeter of the pie plate, squeeze the ropes so they attach to the dough base, then create a fluted edge by pinching the ropes with your fingers.
Wrap the crust in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven to 325°F, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly prick the bottom of the crust with a for, then bake until golden brown and set, about 30-35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
For the bottom raspberry layer: Place the frozen raspberries in a medium-sized saucepot and cook over medium-high heat until the berries thaw and give off their juice, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add the pectin and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and salt and return to a full boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until just thick, about 2 minutes. Pour the berry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium-sized bowl. Press on the solids to extract as much juice as possible, and be sure to scrape the puree off the underside of the sieve into the bowl.
Transfer 1/3 cup of the raspberry puree to a small bowl and cool to room temperature. Gently fold the fresh raspberries into the remaining puree. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.
For the middle raspberry layer: Place the gelatin the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Pour the boiling water over the gelatin and let the mixture to rest about 3 minutes, to allow the gelatin to dissolve. Add the cream cheese and the reserved 1/3 cup raspberry puree to the gelatin and water and whisk on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula once or twice, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the 1 cup heavy cream and beat on medium until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl, then beat on high speed until stiff peaks form (When you stick a spoon into the cream and lift it out, the point formed in the cream will stand straight up and not fall over), about 1-2 minutes. Spread the mixture evenly over the first layer in the pie crust. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
For the top whipped cream layer: When read to serve the pie, make the whipped cream. Whip the cream to soft peaks (When you stick a spoon into the cream and lift it out, a point will form then droop down after a second or two). Add sugar and whip to firm peaks (The point formed in the cream will stand straight up and not fall over). Spread the whipped cream over the chilled filling. Slice the pie into wedges and serve immediately.
