Shaker Lemon Pie

Bet you're all wondering what happened to the diet eh? Well rest assured this pie was the second dessert choice for Christmas dinner and unfortunately it is long gone. I have a feeling though, had we not been on a new "food program" (I hate the word DIET - after all it is just another 4 letter word) I would have planned to make another one of these beauties. It is obscenely delicious.

As you can see our Meyer lemon tree is loaded with fruit, some of it bigger than several of this year's grapefruit. It's actually a dwarf improved Meyer Lemon and what you're looking at is half of the tree. The other half has as much if not more lemons on it. Go figure! For sure, it's going to need a good pruning when the time comes, but meanwhile I've got to admit the fruit is incredible. Meyer lemons are sweeter than the average grocery store lemon but if you go visit Tom at Tall Clover Farm, he's already written about this lemon phenom. Actually I was inspired by two of his posts to make a Shaker Lemon Pie and this particular recipe's from Saveur which I wouldn't have known had it not been for Tom, so hat's off to ya my friend!

 

This pie is very unique in that it makes use of the whole fruit, rather than just the juice and some rind. The lemons are sliced into VERY thin slices - I used a very sharp knife thanks to the big guy's sharpening skills, and it took a lot of patience to get the paper thin slices, but it is worth the time and effort, believe me. The fruit is then macerated in sugar for 24 hours then the filling for the pie is completed using eggs, butter, flour and salt.

Now, this particular double crusted pie had rather a rocky start, because not only did it macerate for 36 hours rather than 24 because my old stove picked this moment to screech to a grinding halt, but the new oven was cooking 30 degrees lower than it should have been. But wait - there's more! The third boot in the butt was that I hit the cancel button to stop the oven timer from ringing and shut the darn oven off by mistake. It was a half hour before I even noticed that nothing was happening. Ya well - bad luck comes in threes, doesn't it?

As a consequence this pie was not a pretty sight, and the crust wasn't everything it could have been, but oh mama did it taste good. The filling is a cross between marmalade and lemon curd. It's tart but not too tart and sweet but not too sweet and it is quite likely my absolute most favorite - well new most favorite. I do love d'em pies and this one just kept getting better and better with time although I admit it only lasted a few days before the suspiciously empty pie keeper was merely taking up space in the refrigerator.

This is one of those MUST TRY situations - you won't be disappointed. Oh, and one more thing - you've just got to drop by Tall Clover Farm for some laughs, some warm fuzzies and some educatin'. I mean for heaven's sake, Tom GROWS his own Meyer lemons and he's in the Pacific Northwest. I have a feeling you'll love visiting his blog as much as I do.

Comments

[Sarah G]

This is a very unusual lemon pie. Sounds nice. I know what you mean about ovens. My house sit oven shuts off at random intervals no matter what temperature I am using or what I am cooking. A tad challenging, to say the least. I would say that your pie turned out very nicely.

[June]

Thanks Sarah, it is unusual and delicious. Yes, ovens are a challenge and the catalyst for some new curse words in this house from time to time.

[Mags]

We learned the hard way too that turning off the timer on the oven in this house also turns off the oven. It takes some time to learn all the bells and whistles, doesn't it?

That's a great looking pie but I'm glad you clarified that it was one of your Christmas desserts, because I was about to call you a diet cheater!!!

[June]

Mags, I'd say in all honesty that I'd rather have this pie again than chocolate cake. Isn't that something?