Shaker Lemon Pie

Yesterday, while thumbing through a 2014 copy of “Saveur Magazine”, I came across an interesting recipe for Shaker Lemon Pie. 

The photo caught my eye first.  The caption under the photograph described this lemon pie as having a “marmalade-like citrus filling”. “Sounds good,” I thought. That’s when I read the recipe and decided to try it.

Fortunately, all the ingredients necessary were in house.  So, I wasted no time in assembling sugar, lemons, and an apron.  This is one of those recipes that have to begin the day before.

I began by zesting two lemons before peeling them. 

The zest went into the sugar. 

Then, the lemons were sliced after removing the seeds. 

A 24 hour wait started after the lemon slices were placed in the sugar.

The filling came together easily the next day.  It was a standard egg-butter-flour custard.  What really made it stand out was the lemon-infused sugar and lemon slices.

Once out of the oven, that lemon pie perfumed the whole house.  The fragrance of lemon-scented baked sugar and butter tormented me until it was cooled.

This is probably the most interesting pie ever baked in my kitchen. 

Those chewy slices of lemon made Shaker Lemon Pie different from all other lemon pies.  The slices of lemons were suspended in a luscious golden custard that was sweet and tart.  The sugar had drawn the juice from the lemons overnight.  Flecks of zest flavored the custard with the intense savor of the citrus.  The interesting point mentioned earlier came from the chewy slices of lemon.  This quality alone made this lemon pie stand out from all others.

I will be making Shaker Lemon Pie again. 

But, there will be one small adjustment in the recipe.  The next time, I will quarter the lemon slices.  Left whole, they made for a messy job of cutting a neat slice.  A smaller piece of lemon would also make a better product.  A high quality lemon such as Meyers or a Mediterranean import is best.  However, any lemon will produce a very nice pie.

Try something different and make this Shaker Lemon Pie soon.  For the archived recipe go to the Saveur Magazine website.