It’s really an excuse for me to bake with abandon, test out new recipes, and return to old favorites. The one recipe that I can never take off the menu and that all my guests demand, is this tart and sweet lemon Shaker pie. It’s one of the first desserts to be demolished by the crowd. And though it takes some planning, as the lemons in the pie filling need to macerate in the sugar overnight, it is also one of the easiest desserts to make!
What is Lemon Shaker Pie?
The classic lemon Shaker pie is a juicy, simple lemon pie that uses the entire lemon, including the peel, pith, and inner flesh in the filling. It’s a frugal recipe developed by the Shakers, a religious group that formed in the 18th century, that minimizes waste and maximizes flavor. The filling, composed of just thinly sliced whole lemon, sugar, and eggs is a cross between lemon marmalade and lemon curd. And though it takes minimal effort, the lemons do need to macerate in sugar for at least 4 hours or overnight (preferred) to get the best flavor and texture, so be sure to plan accordingly.
What is Macerating and How Long Should You Do It?
Macerating is just a fancy culinary term for letting fruit sit in sugar. The longer the fruit sits in the sugar, the more juices extract from the fruit itself and the softer the fruit becomes. Lemon pith, the white rind of the citrus fruit, is extremely bitter. To combat this bitterness, the lemon is sliced paper thin. If you have a mandoline, this is the time to use it, but a sharp pairing or utility knife will work just fine. Toss the lemon slices in the sugar, cover, and let sit on the counter for a minimum of 4 hours and the sugar will soften the rind and extract any bitterness. Letting the lemon and sugar sit overnight (up to 12 hours) is actually recommended, as that leads to a softer and less bitter filling. If time gets away from you, and you don’t make your pie the next day you can go ahead and refrigerate the covered bowl of lemon and sugar for up to 2 days.
Meyer Lemon as an Alternative
If you are short on time and in a hurry to make this pie, look for Meyer lemons in the grocery store. This citrus fruit is a natural hybrid between citron and a mandarin/pomelo fruit. The fruit is sweeter than regular lemons and has a smaller amount of pith which makes it significantly softer and less bitter. Slice the Meyer lemons paper thin, like you would the regular lemons, then toss in sugar as directed. Let macerate for 1 hour, the amount of time it takes to let the pie crust chill in the refrigerator, and then proceed with the recipe.
Lemon Shaker Pie Variations
The beauty of the lemon Shaker pie is the clean simplified filling, of just lemon slices, sugar, eggs, and a pinch of salt. There are other versions that have flour in the filling to thicken, but I find it unnecessary and the flour dulls the pure citrus flavor. That said, you can certainly jazz up the pie by adding in other fresh or dried fruit, herbs or extracts:
Fresh berries Fresh rhubarb (I have a version of the pie on my own blog, a Meyer lemon strawberry rhubarb Shaker pie.) Dried cranberries Dried cherries Replace the lemons with blood or navel oranges Vanilla extract Fresh mint or thyme
I would not recommend using limes or grapefruit in this recipe. The pith is too bitter in limes and grapefruit, and no matter how long you macerate the citrus, the pie will still be too bitter for most folks to eat! Trust me, I tried it.
How to Store and Freeze Shaker Pie?
As with most pies, the lemon Shaker pie is best eaten the day it is baked, but you can make and store the pie for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Just cover it with plastic wrap tightly after it has cooled completely and store in the fridge. Let the pie come to room temperature, about 30 to 60 minutes on the counter, before serving. To freeze Lemon Shaker Pie slices: Slice the pie into individual servings, if you wish, and freeze the slices between layers of parchment or wax paper in an airtight container. To freeze the whole pie: Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in a large 2-gallon resealable freezer bag. The pie will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
More Pucker-Worthy Lemon Desserts
Lemon Meringue Pie Lemon Icebox Pie Lemon Tart Classic Lemon Bars Easy Lemon Pudding Lemon Pound Cake
Prepare the pie crust as directed, keeping each dough disk individually wrapped. Chill for an hour in the fridge, or overnight. If you have a kitchen mandoline, this is the perfect time to use it so you’ll achieve paper thin slices. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a very sharp knife to get the slices as thin as possible. Remove any seeds from the lemon slices. You’ll notice the sugar will dissolve, the lemons will start to look wilted and more translucent, and the filling will extract liquid as it sits. As it sits, use a spatula to toss filling once or twice. If there are any seeds, they should float up to the top of the liquid. Remove them. Add the beaten eggs to the lemon and sugar mixture and stir until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is cohesive. Rotate the dough slightly and repeat, rotating the dough all the way around, until you have a 10-inch circular disk. If, at any point, the dough starts to stick to the surface or the rolling pin, add a little more flour underneath or on top of the dough. Line a 9-inch pie dish with the dough. Pour the filling into the dough, distributing the lemon slices evenly in the pie. Press the dough together to seal the pie. Trim away any excess crust with a kitchen scissor, then crimp the pie edges all the way around the pie. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the top of the pie with a thin layer of egg wash. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. (If you have decorating sugar or sugar in the raw that works great here too.) Cut some decorative vents into the top of the crust.
