Marthas Shaker Lemon Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Wash and cut 2 of the lemons into paper-thin slices. (It is very important to slice the lemons as thinly as possible; use a very sharp knife or an electric meat slicer, if one is available.) Remove the peel and pith of the remaining lemons; slice the flesh very, very thinly, and put it with the other slices in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and toss well to coat all the lemon slices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture rest overnight, stirring occasionally. This takes the bitterness from the rind.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Press one Pate Brisee round into a 9-inch pie plate and chill.
• Add the beaten eggs to the sugar-coated lemon slices and mix well. Turn the mixture into the prepared pie shell, neatly arranging some of the lemon slices on top. Cut long, even slashes 1 inch apart in the other pastry round and cover the filling with it. Crimp the edges of the pie to seal. Brush the pastry top and edges with the egg white and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover the edges of the pie with foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and shiny, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack before serving.

Steps:

• Wash and cut 2 of the lemons into paper-thin slices. It is very important to slice the lemons as thinly as possible; use a very sharp knife or an electric meat slicer, if on is available. Remove peel and pith of remaining lemons; slice the flesh very, very thinly, and put it with the other slices in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, and toss well to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let the mixture rest overnight, stirring occasionally.
• The next day, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Press one circle of pastry into an 11-inch pie plate and chill.
• Add beaten eggs to the lemon mixture, and mix well. Turn mixture into prepared pie shell, neatly arranging some of the lemon slices on top. Cut long, even slashes 1 inch apart in the other pastry round, and place on top of filling. Crimp edges of the pie to seal. Brush top and edges with egg-white glaze. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and shiny. Let cool on a rack before serving.

Steps:

• Zest and thinly slice the lemons into rounds, removing any seeds.
• Add the lemon zest and slices and 2 cups (400 g) sugar to a large bowl. Stir to coat the lemon slices well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and macerate in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Add the beaten eggs, melted butter, flour, and salt to the lemon mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
• On a lightly floured surface, divide the disc of pie dough in half. Working 1 portion at a time, form into a smaller disc and roll out into a circle about ⅛ inch (3mm) thick. Drape 1 dough round in a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish. Fill the pie dough with the lemon mixture, then top with the other dough round. Trim any excess dough around the edges, press the edges together and crimp to seal.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water until fully combined.
• Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Cut 4 small decorative slits in the center of the pie to vent.
• Place the pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust begins to brown.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake the pie for 22-24 minutes more, or until the crust is shiny and deep golden brown.
• Let the pie cool for 45-60 minutes before slicing and serving.
• Top each slice with a lemon twist and dust with powdered sugar.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Slice the lemons and combine in a large bowl with the 2 cups sugar. Let stand for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Add the beaten eggs and mix well. Pour into an unbaked 9 inch piecrust and cover with a top crust.
• Brush the top with milk and sprinkle granulated sugar on top.
• Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the pie comes out clean.

Steps:

• For the lemons: Trim the ends of the lemons, then quarter each lemon lengthwise. Using a sharp knife, very thinly slice the lemons; they should be paper-thin. Discard any seeds. Transfer the slices and any juices to a medium bowl and toss with the sugar and vanilla until all the sugar is moistened. Cover and refrigerate, stirring every so often, until the lemons have softened and start to turn translucent and the sugar is mostly dissolved, at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.
• For the pie dough: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and process until the largest pieces of butter are pea-size. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Combine the vodka, vinegar and 4 tablespoons of ice water in a small bowl. Drizzle the wet ingredients over the dough, then mix with a fork until shaggy pieces form. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands a couple of times until it comes together (it will be dry, which is fine).
• Transfer the large clumps of dough to a work surface. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ice water over any remaining smaller bits of dough in the bowl and knead again to bring it together. If the remaining dough is still too dry to come together, add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. Add to the dough on the work surface and press together into a single mass, incorporating any dry bits. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick block.
• Divide the block into 4 pieces with a bench scraper or knife. Stack the pieces on top of one another, tucking any unincorporated dry bits in between the layers. Flatten the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick block. Repeat this process (cutting, stacking and flattening) 3 more times; this creates layers of butter in the dough that produce a wonderfully flaky crust.
• Divide the dough in half and form into 1-inch-thick disks; wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours and preferably overnight.
• Once the lemons have macerated and the pie dough has chilled, place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• For the filling: Take the macerated lemons out of the refrigerator and whisk in 4 of the eggs, the cornstarch and salt until well combined. Set aside while you roll the dough.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface or on a piece of parchment into a 12-inch round (about 1/4-inch thick). Ease the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Pour the lemon filling over the crust. Repeat the rolling with the remaining dough, then carefully place it on top of the filling. Trim the edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang, then tuck the overhanging dough under itself; crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers.
• Whisk the remaining egg with a splash of water in a small bowl, then brush all over the pie dough. Finally, cut 4 small slits in the center of the pie to release steam while baking.
• Place the pie directly on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue to bake until the crust is deep golden-brown all over and cooked through and the filling is set, about 1 hour 15 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the whipped cream: While the pie is cooling, combine the cream and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it is light, fluffy and holds soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Cut the room temperature pie into wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Steps:

• Using your sharpest knife (a serrated knife is ideal), trim each lemon to remove the stem end and tip. Slice each lemon crosswise, as thinly as you can possibly do it, into paper-thin circles. If you can drape them over the knife blade like the watches in Salvador Dali's surrealistic paintings, you're on the right track. Scoop up as much of the escaping lemon juices as you work, and add them to the bowl of sliced lemons.
• Chop the thinly sliced lemons coarsely, so that the largest pieces of lemon rind and pith are only 1 inch long, again gathering escaping juices back into the bowl for their flavor.
• Add the sugar to the bowl of lemons, and stir to mix them together really well. Cover and set aside at room temperature, for at least 3 hours and as long as overnight. Stir occasionally with a big spoon, to mix everything together well.
• Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie pan with crust, leaving a 1-inch overhang.
• Add the eggs, flour, and salt to the bowl of sugary lemons. Stir to mix everything evenly and well. Pour this filling into the piecrust.
• Use a little water to wet the top rim of pastry around the piecrust. Roll the remaining dough into a 10-inch circle and place it carefully over the filling. Trim away the extra pastry, leaving a 1-inch overhang extending beyond the rim of the pie pan. Fold the crust up and over, and crimp it decoratively. Or press the tines of a fork into the pastry rim, working around the pan to make a design. Cut 8 steam vents in the top of the pie, so that steam can escape and the pie's juices can bubble up.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet and place it on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until the filling is bubbling and thickened, and the pastry crust is cooked and handsomely browned, 25 to 35 minutes more. Place the pie on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel and let cool to room temperature.

Steps:

• NOTE: I use prepared pie shells from the frozen foods section of market. For a top crust I use Pillsbury prepared crusts. They are now rolled instead of folded -- no creases!
• Slice lemons as thin as paper, rind and all. Combine with sugar, mix well.
• Let stand 2 hours or preferably refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Add beaten eggs to lemon mix, mix well.
• Turn into 9-inch pie shell, arranging slices evenly.
• Cover with top crust.
• Cut several slits near center.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375º F and bake 20 minutes more or until silver knife comes out clean.

Steps:

• The day before serving, prepare the filling. Wash and dry the lemons. Freeze them for 10 minutes and then slice them as finely as you can using a mandoline, meat slicer or very sharp knife. As you slice, pull out and discard any seeds. Place the lemons in a mixing bowl and toss with the sugar. Cover with a dish towel and set on the counter overnight.
• The next day, prepare the pastry: combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, work half of the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Quickly work the remaining butter into the dough until the biggest pieces are the size of lima beans. Drizzle in the water in several additions, tossing and mixing between each. (It should look rather ropy and rough.) Stop adding water when a few bits of dry flour remain in the bottom of the bowl; do not overwork the dough or it will become tough. Gather the dough into 2 balls and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap, then flatten into disks. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Unwrap a disk of dough, place between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll into a 9-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick. Trim the excess dough. Lay it on a cookie sheet, cover and refrigerate. Roll the second disk into an 11-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick. Trim the excess dough. Gently place the larger circle in a 9-inch tart pan, letting the excess dough rise up the sides (do not trim). Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• Using your hands, mix the eggs, flour and butter into the lemon-sugar mixture, squeezing the lemons as you mix. Pour the mixture into the dough-lined tart pan to just below the pan's rim. Using the point of a paring knife, carve 4 to 6 holes in the crust of the small dough circle. Lay it on top of the filling. Roughly fold the edges of the bottom crust over the top circle. Brush with milk. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes more. Cool completely before serving.

Steps:

• In a large glass bowl, combine lemons, sugar and salt. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature., Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet. Trim even with rim. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until frothy; lightly brush over crust. Add lemon mixture, flour and vanilla to eggs; mix well. Pour into crust. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top., Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 400°. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes longer. Cover edge loosely with foil during the last 10 if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack; serve warm.