Sabbathday Lake’s Shaker Lemon Pie
Updated Oct. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 30 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2large lemons
- 2cups sugar
- 4eggs beaten well
- 2½cups white all-purpose flour
- 1teaspoon salt
- 1cup vegetable shortening or lard
- 3 to 4tablespoons cold water
For the Lemon Filling
For the Pie Crust
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
801 calories; 38 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 5 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 110 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 68 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 433 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Begin with the filling. Wash lemons; cut off both ends and discard. Slice lemons very thinly, rinds and all. Place in a mixing bowl and cover with sugar. Stir to mix well. Cover and set aside for 2 hours or longer.
- Step 2
While lemons are macerating, make pie crust dough. Sift together flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Mix in shortening until pieces are the size of peas. Gradually add water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough is soft and easy to work. Do not mix too much.
- Step 3
Divide dough in two, one piece slightly larger than the other, and form two balls. Wrap each in paper or plastic film and refrigerate 30 minutes or longer.
- Step 4
When ready to assemble pie, roll out the two portions of dough on a floured board.
- Step 5
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Step 6
Line a 9-inch pie plate with larger portion of pastry. To the lemon mixture, add the eggs (the sugar will have dissolved into a syrup). Mix well to blend. Pour into the pie shell. Top with the second piece of dough. Crimp edges well to prevent leaking and cut a few air vents in the top.
- Step 7
Place pie on a cookie sheet in preheated oven and bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- There seem to be as many Shaker lemon pie recipes as there are Shakers. This one is a favorite at Sabbathday Lake.
Private Notes
Comments
I pureed the lemons to make slicing easier. The original recipe included some Thyme but I used rosemary. Also, the original recipe did not have a top crust. I dusted with some powdered sugar. It was wonderful! So bright tasting. I lost my copy of the recipe when the Shakers originally posted it, so I'm happy to find it again.
@Diane-Maine How long did you bake it without the top? I feel like that would be too much crust for such a light filling. And did you just cut the dough ingredients to like 2/3?
I've made this many times since finding it in an article in Saveur mag #50 Apr '01 by M. Cunningham, which included pics of S-Day Lake and quotes from the few then alive, with fantastic interviews.I memorized this recipe & am fairly sure the directions are to leave the lemons macerating much longer--overnight & at room temperature.Two differences from my experience:1) I often omit the lard and substitute cr-sco.But this crust is fabulous if you follow the directions Exactly.2) Only 1/2 tsp salt.
A friend gave me some lemons from a neighbor's yard. Because they have thinner rinds than ones from the store I thought this recipe would be ideal. The filling is great, the crust not so much. It is really important to slice the lemons very thinly if they're too thick they'll be chewy - still good but chewy. I really regret using this crust recipe though I followed i precisely it was almost inedible. Next time I'll use my own recipe for the crust. But I like the filling.
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