Shaker Lemon Pie

Shaker Lemon Pie - the real version

I've run across several recipes lately calling themselves Shaker Lemon Pie and I want to set the record straight. Unless you use the recipe below, you are not making Shaker Lemon Pie. The pie is sweet and tart at the same time because it is made of whole lemons, rind and all. People are remaking the recipe without the sliced lemons and I am sorry folks, but that just isn't Shaker Lemon Pie.
This pie is not for everyone, I will admit.  If you are used to lemon meringue pie you may not like this pie, but if you like things like orange marmalade or candied lemon peel, you will probably like Shaker Lemon pie. I like to think it takes a sophisticated palate to enjoy a pie like this!
If you ate at the Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon, Ohio back in the day, you could always count on the dessert menu including either Sister Lizzie's Sugar Pie or Shaker Lemon Pie or both. Sister Lizzie hailed from the Kentucky Shaker community known as South Union and Ohio Lemon Pie came from North Union, the Shaker community near Cleveland. The Shakers had to feed a lot of people good wholesome food so they could work hard on their farms. They wasted nothing and  made sure the food was tasty so it would all be eaten.
Shaker Lemon Pie is one of my favorites and its pretty easy to make if you have a mandolin slicer or a food processor that slices things paper thin. Here's the recipe from The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller and Persis Fuller.

Shaker Lemon Pie

2 lemons

2 cups granulated sugar and a little more for layering the lemon slices

4 eggs

pastry for two 8 inch crusts

Wash the lemons well in warm soapy water. Rinse well. Then slice the lemons paper thin, rind and all. (I throw away the tops and bottoms, you just want slices of lemon flesh with the rind on). Place them in a ceramic or glass mixing bowl and pour the sugar over them. Mix well and let stand for a least 6 hours or over night, covered. This allows the bitterness in the lemons to blend with the sugar and juice. Note:  The original recipe says 2 hours or over night. Always let them stand at least 6 hours.

Line an 8 inch pie tin with one pastry crust. Beat the four eggs in a separate bowl together until they are lemon colored. Lay the lemon slices in layers on top of the crust making sure to add a little extra sugar between each layer. When all the lemon slices are layered in the crust, pour all the remaining sugar and lemon juice from the mixing bowl over the slices. Then pour the beaten egg over the lemons. Put the top crust on the pie and vent it to let out steam. Place in a hot 450 degree oven for 15 minutes, then turn heat to 400 degrees and bake until a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes more depending on your oven. The resulting pie is both sweet and tart with a little crunch from the lemon rind. You can serve it with a little sweetened whipped cream if you prefer