Filled with  rum and raisins, creamy custard and whipped cream, this pie should be kept as far from your low-fat new year’s resolution as possible. Which makes it the perfect dessert for July. Technically, that should be  June, but the summer solstice makes rum indulgence a long season. Helpful Hint: you can save calories by skipping dinner (or lunch, or breakfast) entirely and just have the pie.

The Crust

 The Zen Master’s Pie Crust for a single crust pie, blind baked

The Filling

1. 3 cups heavy cream, plus
2. ⅔ cup for serving
3. ⅔ cup granulated sugar
4. 4 large whole eggs, plus
5. 2 large egg yolks
6. ¼ tsp salt
7. ¼ cup dark rum
8. ¼ cup golden raisins
9. ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 400°

Pour the cream into a medium saucepan

Cook until it just begins to boil, then remove from heat

Whisk together the sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks and salt

Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the hot cream until combined

Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 10-12 minutes

Stir in the rum

Remove from heat and set aside

Unstick any stuck-together raisins, and line the bottom of the cooled tart pan with them

Slowly pour in the custard

Bake 20-25 minutes (rotating the pie half way through) until the middle is set

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely

Just before serving, combine the remaining ⅔ cup cream and confectioner’s sugar

Beat until soft peaks form

Serve slices of pie with a dollop of whipped cream

The pie can be chilled, covered loosely with plastic wrap for up to 3 days, meaning encourage everyone to have seconds

Jenna Coughlan from Hollywood, Florida writes…”This question may seem like it has nothing to do with pies, but did you ever fall in love with a shade of nail polish that was totally hot but looked really terrible on you?”Jeff, the manicurist at my favorite nail place had this berry red shade of polish I had been flirting with for weeks. But when I finally went with it, the color was so red-red, it made my hands look like a cross between The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Even though he’d spent half an hour putting it on, Jeff suggested that a berry shade might look better in a pie. And less frightening.”So I went through your Archives and found this wonderful Red Currant Raspberry Lattice Tart. Now every time I have a hankering for something startling in red, I go to the kitchen.”Red-Currant Raspberry LatticePie Recipe

Out for dinner at a favorite restaurant in Gloucester, Mass., Ellen Dunn (Heads, You Win!) heard her waitress Ann Marie cheerfully telling friends at the next table, “Can’t come to the party, I’m doing pies all weekend.”Naturally Ellen had to ask about any pie event. It turned out that Ann Marie had another life as the sister of and pie-maker to her brother and sister-in-law at their ice cream parlor in Danvers.Goodies 50’s Style Ice Cream Parlor opened in December 2003, the same day a snowstorm put three feet of snow between John Palmisano and his new business. After shoveling his way in, he figured if the rented freezers failed, the out of doors would be a handy alternative. He survived that winter and did fine all summer long, but by the end of October his customers’ cravings had begun to turn - from chocolate ice cream cones to holiday pies.As business slowed and John’s blood pressure rose, Ann Marie came up with a solution, “If they want pies, we’ll give them pies — Ice Cream Pies!” and proceeded to invent an entire menu of gourmet pies, from Holy Cannoli Pie to Chocolate Covered Cherry Pie and Raspberry Ripple. For Thanksgiving, Ann Marie created a Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie.All Ann Marie’s pies are handmade, each a perfect expression of her devotion to Goodies’ fabulous ice cream, and to maybe some day not having to hold down two jobs. Goodies Ice Cream Pies have developed such a following that customers are now begging John to ship them. Except he still hasn’t found an affordable shipper, so if anyone knows of one, Tell Penelope and she’ll let John know; or contact John yourself at Goodies 50’s Style Ice Cream Parlor.

Ann Marie’s Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Use graham crackers, gingersnaps, biscotti or chocolate wafers (with chocolate wafers use 2 cups of crumbs)

• 1½ cup crumbs
• 2 tbs sugar
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Combine the crumbs, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and toss together. Add the butter and stir vigorously until blended.Use your fingers to press and pat the mixture over the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan.If you like the crust a little more crispy, preheat the oven to 325° and put the pie crust in for 8 mintues. Cool completely before filling.Makes one 9 inch pie shell

The Pie

• 1 cup crushed ginger snaps
• 5 or 6 giant paddles ( or 1 quart if you want extra for tasting) of pumpkin icecream (if you can’t find pumpkin, Ann Marie votes for Ben and Jerry’s Festivus Ice Cream)
• ½ cup caramel or butterscotch sauce
• ¾ tsp cinnamon or nutmeg

Pile the ice cream into the prepared graham cracker crustSprinkle the ginger snaps over the ice creamZig zag the sauce over the cookies or make your own designDollop on the whipped creamSprinkle the whipped cream with the nutmeg or cinnamon (for depth and decoration)Makes one 9 inch single crust pie