Nanette’s Lemon Shaker Pie
Nanette Davidson is a Resident Artist for Cooking at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina. She launched the cooking program there. She’s also a weaver, a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and the Slow Food Movement.
Nanette’s Lemon Shaker Pie
CourseDessert, Pie Filling
CuisineAmerican
Ingredients
Favorite Dough for Double Crust Pie
2-3 lemons
2 cups sugar
4 eggs gently beaten
Instructions
1. Use a mandoline to cut the lemons VERY THINLY over a glass or similar non-reactive bowl.
2. Add the sugar to the bowl with the lemons and stir. Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can’t rush this part. Soaking in the lemon juice and sugar causes the rinds to soften, which you’ll want in your finished pie.
3. Prepare the pastry for a double crust pie. Wrap tightly and chill overnight as well.
4. The next day roll out the crust for a 9” pie. Line a pie pan and chill the pastry lined pan while making the filling. Roll out the top crust also and chill on a piece of parchment paper.
5. When ready to bake pie, preheat oven to 425 F.
6. Now for the most fiddly part of the recipe. Remove all the seeds from the lemon -sugar mixture. Cut the peel into smaller pieces with a pair of kitchen scissors simply by snipping the peel in the bowl. This will make slicing and serving the finished pie much easier.
7. Add the beaten eggs to the snipped, seeded and soaked lemon-sugar mixture and mix gently but well.
8. Pour the filling into the pastry lined pan, add the top crust and trim the edges. Crimp the edge and cut a decorative vent in the center of the pie. Brush lightly with an egg wash made of 1 beaten egg and a bit of milk or water.
9. Place the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350F and move the pie to the center rack of the oven. Continue baking until the pie is golden brown and lovely, about 20-30 minutes.