Annie,

I love anything lemon and that pie looks fantastic! Making me hungry and I finished my last piece of pumpkin pie last night so I can't have one of my favorite things for breakfast this morning. I need to go looking for that recipe.
Enjoy,
Kat

That looks fabulous!

From my kitchen I can see my neighbor's Meyer lemons calling me; now I know I will be over there today to help him get rid of those pesky things (as he calls them). Also, I got some pie tools for Christmas so that seals the deal.

I can almost taste that! Lemon meringue is my favorite too.
I have never tried the Shaker recipe. Yours looks absolutely wonderful. I am using Sharon's crust recipe now too. I need to replenish my supply in the freezer. I love having crusts on hand. I sure makes pie-making less messy.

Looks fabulous, Annie. Now how 'bout that recipe?

Annie, I'm drooling over your pie. I love anything lemon! I so wish I had a piece right now.

Sue

Cathy, do be a good neighbor and help him get rid of those pesky things. (grin) You could make some limoncello for Sherry!

gldno, I agree, having some crust in the freezer just makes everything so much quicker and more simple.

Sue and Kat, here's the recipe. I first saw it on America's Test Kitchen, then in Cook's Illustrated. I figured if I saw it twice, it was meant to be!

Shaker Lemon Pie
From the episode: Two Perfect Pies

This simple recipe mixes lemon slices, sugar, and eggs to form a custardy filling. But unless you macerate the lemon slices for 24 hours, the pie turns out bitter. Could we speed up this recipe for modern times?

Serves 8.

You will need 6 tablespoons of lemon juice for this recipe. Have an extra lemon on hand in case the 3 sliced lemons do not yield enough juice.

1 double-crust pie dough
3 large lemons , sliced thin and seeded (see note)
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie plate with 1 dough round and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Squeeze lemon slices in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl; reserve juice (you should have 6 tablespoons). Bring drained slices and 2 cups water to boil in saucepan, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slices are softened, about 5 minutes. Drain well and discard liquid. Combine softened lemon slices, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup reserved lemon juice in bowl; stir until sugar dissolves.

Whisk cornstarch and remaining lemon juice in large bowl. Whisk eggs into cornstarch mixture, then slowly stir in lemon slice mixture, then slowly stir in lemon slice mixture until combined. Pour into chilled pie shell. Brush edges of dough with 1 teaspoon cream and top with remaining dough round. Seal, crimp edges, and brush top of dough with remaining cream. Using paring knife, cut 4 vents in top of dough.

Bake until light golden, about 20 minutes, then decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour. Serve. (Pie can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 2 days.)

We found that using a knife to evenly cut the lemons into paper-thin slices was a difficult and time-consuming task. We had better results with a mandoline (or V-slicer), which produced perfectly thin slices in no time at all. If you don’t have a mandoline, we did find another piece of kitchen equipment that will make the process easier��"the freezer. Popping the lemons into the freezer for about 30 minutes firms them up for better hand-slicing, which is best accomplished with a serrated knife.

Now, I didn't use a mandoline, I used the tomato knife that Nancy (wizardnm) bought for Elery and I as a wedding gift. I managed to cut BOTH thumbs before I finished those three lemons, LOL, and even Meyer Lemon juice stings when you do that. So, I heartily approve of the mandoline idea, it's got to be easier than my way!

I think I'll go have a piece of pie...

Annie

Annie, Great suggestion about the limoncello! I went over today and he said to help myself so he wouldn't have to mow over them when they drop. I'll share the limoncello with him as a thank you. Since his wife left him, he's clueless about such things, cute but clueless.

To.Die.For.!!!!!! That pie looks like my idea of heaven. Lemon meringue is also my favorite so I know I would love this. I saw a Shaker lemon pie recipe years ago on the forum but I never made it. All I can get are grocery store lemons so maybe I'm not sure I should try it....I know it wouldn't come anywhere close to as good as yours!

Tracey

Tracey, I don't know how it would be with grocery store lemons, although I think that's what CI used. These were just such beautiful, perfect lemons, they were begging for something that didn't waste a bit of them.

If you like marmalade, you'll like this pie, it has that little bit of an edge from the peel, not quite bitter but not sweet.

Cathy, I knew you were a good Samaritan, just trying to help your poor neighbor deal with those darned lemons. (grin)

Annie

Annie,
Thanks so much for the recipe. I have to make this as I have come back at least three different times just to drool over your pictures!

Kat

Kat, you definitely should make this if you like marmalade, but watch your thumbs, LOL. I give a whole new meaning to "all thumbs"...

Annie

Annie, that pie looks wonderful! I've got a bunch more lemons that, due to cold, must come off the tree--that's how you store them. Anyway, next day or two, I'm going to make me a pie and then take a double dose of anti-reflux stuff. Mom Nature has a wicked sense of humor but I love her anyway!

You could always juice them and put the juice in the freezer, I suppose, but it would sure be a shame to waste any of those beautiful lemons.

You're right, The Mother does have a wicked sense of humor, doesn't she? And that's what we get for messing with her, I suppose. (grin)

I have two of your lemons left and I'm going to make something yummy, I just haven't decided what. Maybe I'll make lemoncello!

Annie

Annie, do you want some more?????

Annie,

I am all set to make this pie for tomorrow's dinner, but I am not sure about exactly how much to do tonight. You said, " unless you macerate the lemon slices for 24 hours, the pie turns out bitter." So, do I stop just after slicing and straining out the juice, or after boiling? Do they just sit out or should they be in the 'fridge? Mine will get a bit less than 24 hours at this point, but I guess that's better than 2 hours, right?

I cannot wait to taste this pie. I've been salivating since you posted the pics and description. AND this will be my first time to abandon my standard BH&G cookbook pie crust and try Nathan's Never Fail Pastry.

empress, that wasn't my statement, it came from Cook's Illustrated, where I copied the recipe. Instead of macerating the lemons for 24 hours, they boiled them to remove the bitterness.

So, you either macerate the lemons or you boil them, but you don't have to do both. So, if you boil them, drain them and mix the pie filling, you are set, no maceration. If you've already macerated, I wouldn't worry about it, I'd go from there!

Annie

Annie, I'm picking the lemons on Sunday. I'll save some for this pie and box some up. More than I need.

Thanks, Annie. That helps a lot! Can't wait to taste it.

Arlene, that's one of the few bad things about Michigan. I can't grow lemons here. Well, maybe if I built a very tall greenhouse, LOL.

thank you so much, I love them!

Annie

Oh my that looks so yummmy! Clive loves lemon pie so I must make him this. Thanks for the recipe !

Oh Annie, you don't need a tall greenhouse. A normal one will do just fine. Meyer lemon trees are big shrubs. I think mine is just 7-8 ft tall (and equally wide). It is about 8 years old. The lemons won't be as big as earlier but they will be equally good!

Meyer lemons only get to be 8 feet tall? I wonder if they'd grow in a green house in Michigan? Hmmmmm.....

I'd grow it right next to the fig tree I'd have in that greenhouse, LOL, I could have lemon curd and fig preserves with vanilla.

The ones I've gotten at Trader Joe's have all been about the size of a tennis ball or smaller, not nearly as nice and big as yours!

Sharon, if Clive likes lemons, he'll like that pie and it is so easy to make, I was amazed.

Annie