Shaker Pie

Today's post/ haiku is about a pie my boss introduced me to. Apparently there's a bakery in San Francisco that makes amazing Shaker Pie-- which I'd never heard about until she described it to me. And so this pie was born.

Shaker Pie


Lemony goodness
With a custardy filling
Yields happy tastebuds

Before:
I HAVE to make my pies pretty. There's just no other way.  

After:
And don't forget to cut a few slits in the top to let the steam out. 

Look how poofy it gets post-baking

Shaker Pie, from Smitten Kitchen

My comments
* The pie was a tad too eggy for me. Not horrible, and not nearly as eggy as a clafoutis, but still a little eggy nonetheless. But if you're not as sensitive to egg flavor as I am, you'll love it. The egg definitely gives the filling a great smooth, thick, almost custardy like texture

* The pie was wayyyyyyy too sweet since I used Meyer Lemons, as Smitten Kitchen recommended.  So if you don't like your fillings tasting like pure sugar, I'd suggest using regular lemons. Or possibly using less sugar if you do end up using Meyer lemons (although I wonder if reducing the sugar may make the filling a bit more runny...)

More suggestions
* Brush the top of the pie crust with a bit of egg wash before baking.


* Cover the edge of the pie with foil to prevent the edges from overbrowning (like mine did). Just remove the foil ~15 minutes before the pie is done baking to ensure the edges get a bit of color

Ingredients

Filling 
2-3 large lemons
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
4 tbsp. butter, melted
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Crust
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
10 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening

Directions

1. For the filling: Thoroughly wash lemons, then dry with paper towel. Finely grate lemon zest into a bowl. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice lemons very thin; remove and discard seeds. Add slices to zest and toss with sugar and salt. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours.

The lemon/sugar mixture

2. For the crust: Sift flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter or 2 table knives to work butter and shortening into flour until it resembles coarse meal.Sprinkle in up to 5 tbsp. ice water, stirring dough with a fork until it just begins to hold together. Press dough firmly into a rough ball, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Give the dough several kneads with the heel of your hand to form it into a smooth ball. Divide dough into 2 balls, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk eggs in bowl until frothy. Add butter and flour, whisking until smooth. Stir into lemon mixture.

4. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into two 12" rounds. Fit one round into a 9" pie plate and pour in filling.
My filling literally filled the entire pie crust

5. Cover pie with remaining pastry round. Fold edges of dough under, then crimp edges. Cut steam vents in top crust. Bake until edges begin to brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake until crust is golden brown, 25–30 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Allowing the pie to cool will let the filling set. 
Look how nice and non-runny my filling was!

Comments

  1. Whoa, there's no dairy in there! I thought since it looked like custard it would have cream or something, so as a victim of lactose intolerance I couldn't make it, but I read the post anyway to pine. I've never heard of Shaker pie before, but since it's not forbidden I will file it for summer.

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  2. I do enjoy the eggy desserts, plus I love anything lemon flavored, sounds perfect to me!

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