Well this certainly falls under the "Whaddya Know" category.
I entered KRTY's Pie Bake and am going to be entering my Ohio
Shaker Lemon Pie in the Santa Clara Home Show on Sept 7. Looks to
be a fun time!
The Ranger
--
The following recipe is adapted from one that the early Ohio
Shakers made often. This lemon pie, a refreshing finish to a
hearty meal, shows how the thrifty Shakers were unwilling to waste
even the skin of a fruit that had to be purchased rather than
grown in their gardens.
OHIO SHAKER LEMON PIE
INGREDIENTS
2 lemons
1 ¾ cups sugar
pâte brisée*
4 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
METHOD:
In a large saucepan of boiling water blanch the lemons for 30
seconds, drain them, and rinse them under cold water. Trim the
ends of the lemons, discarding them, and cut [1] the lemons
crosswise into paper-thin slices. In a bowl cover the lemon slices
with the sugar [2] and let the mixture stand, stirring [3] once
after 1 hour, for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out half the dough 1/8 inch thick
on a lightly floured surface, fit it into a 9-inch (1-quart) pie
plate, and trim the edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Remove the
lemon slices from the sugar and arrange them in the shell. Add the
eggs and salt to the sugar, whisk the mixture until it is combined
well, and pour it over the lemon slices.
Roll out the remaining dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly
floured surface, drape it over the filling, and trim it, leaving a
1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang under the bottom crust,
pressing the edge to seal it, and crimp the edge decoratively. Cut
slits in the crust with a sharp knife, forming steam vents, and
bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the
temperature to 350°F. and bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes more,
or until the crust is golden. Let the pie cool on a rack and serve
it warm [4] at room temperature.
Gourmet
November 1993
[1] If you have an electric slicer, this is quickly done and the
uniformity for the cuts is almost assured.
[2] I use 2 cups of sugar because my lemons seem to carry a lot of
pucker-power. Some people I've given the recipe to have only used
1 1/3 cups of sugar, wanting to bring out the tartness of the
lemons. Playing around with the measurements is half the fun.
[3] I use a spatula to stir the mixture. The thinness of the
slices does not allow aggressive mixing and it's very easy to end
up with pulpy-rinds.
[4] I also serve a single scoop of French Vanilla Ice Cream as a
contrast to the lemon pie.
*Pâte Brisée Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
9 Tbs. cold, unsalted butter, cut into bits
3 Tbs. cold vegetable shortening (I use Crisco)
a scant 1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbs. ice water, plus any additional if necessary
METHOD:
In a large bowl, blend the flour, the butter, the shortening,
and the salt until the mixture resembles meal. Add the ice water,
toss the mixture until the water is incorporated, adding any
additional water to form a dough and then form the dough into a
ball. Dust the dough with flour and chill it, wrapping it in wax
paper, for 1 hour.