In spite of harsh conditions, raspberries grow very well in Alaska. With a bumper crop there are berries to make jams and jellies, candy, and all sorts of baked goodies including raspberry pie. It is really hard to describe the fresh taste of a raspberry pie made with berries you picked only minutes ago. The particular pie shown was an entry in the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, Alaska.

The decoration on the pie is made with left over pie dough, colored with a bit of food coloring and then rolled out and cut to shape.

• 1 unbaked 2-crust 9-inch plain pastry
• 6 cups fresh raspberies
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water

1. We have raspberries in the yard. If you do not have the same luxury, use the freshest raspberries you can find. I pick the berries in the morning of the day I am going to make the pie. Lightly rinse berries under running water but be careful not to break the berries. Drain in colander.
2. Put berries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix sugar and salt together then add to the berries. Toss gently to mix. Cover and macerate in the refrigerator for several hours. The sugar will pull juice from the berries.
3. Pour off juice from berries into saucepan and set berries aside. Add cornstarch to berry juice. Over medium-high heat, while stirring, cook until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
4. Line pie tin with bottom crust and trim to size of the pie tin. Add reserved berries and then pour on berry juice and cornstarch mixture.
5. Lay on top crust and trim to ½ inch overhang. Fold top crust under bottom crust and crimp. Press crust edge between two fingers of one hand and on finger of the other hand to form flutes. Slice crust to make steam vents.
6. Use pastry brush to brush top crust with egg and water mixture.
7. Bake in a preheated 450°F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake 20 minutes or until crust is a nice golden brown.