The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Tartine's Shaker Lemon Pie

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Tartine's Shaker Lemon Pie

This recipe is adapted from the book  'Tartine'.  I have lemons overflowing and absolutely love lemons and anything made with them...I enjoy eating the rind of lemons and the pith too which is full of vitamin C...also I have read now that research says lemons help with bone loss.  I used my mandolin to slice the lemons paper thin and sugar soaked for a good 24 hours..nice tender and tasty sweet peels went into the pie baked in a tart pan.  Delicious tender peels floating in a lemony custard with a butter flaky crust sprinkled heavily with baking sugar crystals...not to tart not to sweet.

                  

 

                                             

           Sylvia

 

 

                  

 

Sedlmaierin's picture
Sedlmaierin

Looks divine-wish I could have a slice right now!

C

arlo's picture
arlo

Scrumptious!

gaaarp's picture
gaaarp

Looks delicious! I can't believe you posted something so yummy looking, described it in de-lovely detail, and didn't give us the recipe! Argh!!!

EvaB's picture
EvaB

With gaaarp, you did this to torture us didn't you? I am already tortured by the fact that you have so many lemons and I have to buy the supermarket blahs at clost to a buck apiece, and then you show this lovely pie??? Do you maybe work for the CIA in your off time?

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Hi EvaB, I love having a lemon tree in fact anything that grows.  I know what your feeling...I spent most my life in a hot dry desert climate.  I wish everyone could have year round fresh fruit and veggies like we do in CA.  If you get supermarket lemons...BE sure and get them from a store that carries organic....your eating the 'Peel'.  One good not is it only takes two nice size lemons..far less cost than making a fruit pie.

Sylvia

EvaB's picture
EvaB

that the store here carries a lot of organic stuff, but haven't seen lemons yet! And forget Meyer lemons as we live way up north and the stores here are on a kick of what ever head office thinks will sell is what you stock, you can't get things that are normal for stores, get junk on the shelves that is expensive and no really wants but only buys because you can't get what you want.

Frustration! I have been looking for a number of years for a blue granite enamel ware half sized jam kettle, I have one but the enamel is not good (don't cook certain berries in enamel pots and try to make jam from them, it was a disaster on more than one level) and no one seems to even know what a jam kettle is anymore, let alone a half sized one!

So to solve the problems, I keep trying to grow my own citrus fruits, so far its lots of leaves but no flowers, my mother actually had a lemon in a pot that produced several lemons and we loved the pies!

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Thank you C, arlo and gaarp so much for the very nice compliments.  I had almost included the recipe yesterday when I was distracted...there are a few sites I had googled that have the recipe.  I have a copy of 'Tartine' and will post a photo of the pie that is in the book so you can see how lovely their pie is finished.  My pie baked exactly 40min. in a 350F convection set oven that was preheated at 450F.  I didnot have a problem with overbrowning and no foil covering was required for the top.  Just give your pie a little shake when nearing the finish time to see if it has a slight jiggle and the filling has set up enough.  My filling was not as loose as what was discribed in the recipe and so we were able to slice it warm without it running..my husband was pleased because he was able to have a slice before leaving for work and thought it was delicious.  I would recommend removing the bottom part of your tart pan and setting it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for a nice bottom crust...or you can make this in a pie pan.

 

               Tartine's Shaker Pie Photo

                        

  • Recipe links

      http://www.gazette.com/articles/lemon-2185-lemons-butter.html In search box type in 'shaker lemon pie'

      http://smittenKitchen.com/2008/04/shaker-lemon-pie

    

Sylvia

 

 

Franchiello's picture
Franchiello

Such a lovely and tasty looking pie/tart, I wonder what it would taste like made with Meyer lemons? 

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Thank you.  Meyer lemons is suggested in the recipe because of the tender thin skins.

Sylvia

wally's picture
wally

What a beautiful and simple summertime dessert Sylvia.  I once lived briefly on Cyprus and had lemon trees in my front yard and almond trees across the road. (And of course, olive groves everywhere in sight).  It was like being in heaven!  Thanks for bringing back some good memories with that gorgeous pie.

Larry

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

How great to have spent time on Cyprus and enjoyed the locally grown!

Sylvia

jannrn's picture
jannrn

That looks AMAZING!!! I am SO lucky that we have a meyer lemon tree that has finally started producing fruit...as well as a Persian Lime tree, orange tree, grapefruit tree, 3 banana trees with fruit as well as an Avocado tree that is SO good to us!! I can't WAIT to try this recipe as soon as I have 2 ripe lemons!!! Just a thought though...is it possible to make this too but with Splenda? My husband is diabetic so I am TRYING to take care of the sweet tooth issue as well as the diabetes!!
Thank you SO much for sharing this!!
Jannrn

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

and you are welcome!  Your trees sound wonderful, nothing like being able to pick fresh fruits right in your own back yard. 

As far as baking with splenda they say you can bake with it but anytime you change a recipe it makes a big difference in flavor, texture ect...the lemons are soaked in the sugar for the recipe and then with the eggs and the pectin that is created from the pith that is on the lemon skin you shouldn't have any problem with the custard thicking up in the pie...I didn't remove any of the pith that was on the lemon skin and allowed my lemon slices to soak a good 24 hours in the refrigerator...which is why my custard thickened up so nicely IMHO. The baking sugar crystals that are sprinkled heavily all over the top crust IMHO again make the pie.  They are not only pretty on the crust but help balance out the tart, sweet flavor of the pie and if carmelized on top, like in Tartines photo add even more flavor.  I don't know if being diabetic if you can eat pie crust even plain?

  

Sylvia

EvaB's picture
EvaB

diabetics can eat sugar, but its the quantity not the sugar that is the problem. And with that pie, I can see that one piece (smaller than 1/4 of the pie too) would be difficult to limit oneself to. But that is the key to diabetes, limit the carbs, and if you want carbs be prepared to have high sugarl levels.

I have been told its a combination of carb and calorie counting that does the best for diabetics, another thing to look at is the GI or glycemic index of foods, which you can find on the net.

I tried the splenda route the problem with that is the textures just don't come out the same, and some people can't eat large amounts of splenda it gives them the trots.

I would suggest using half the splends and the other half sugar and let it sit to develop the pectin like you did. And then eat smaller pieces it will keep in the fridge for at least three days and if you can't keep the pie, invite friends in! That will take care of the pie and you would still have a nice piece of pie!

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

I would suggest that if anyone has a special diet or is diabetic they consult their doctor before trying any recipe.

Sylvia

EvaB's picture
EvaB

especially if you are new to the problem, its always better to understand what you can and cannot eat. But my dr sent me to a dietition and a special diabetic class at my hospital that helps with the questions for us. There should be information on the diabetic society web site, and if you have a hospital with a dietition you should be albe to at least get a general idea of what to eat and how much etc, or get an appointment with one, they are very knowledgeable and have helped me lots.

shallots's picture
shallots

Yours is beautiful.  I think it's richer than the one that they serve at Pleasant Hill because the PH one is thin sliced lemons in a lot less custard and they use a lattice dusted with sugar crystals on the top that is a tease of the goodness underneath.

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

There's plenty of custard in this pie but there is also a lot of lemon peel, just doesn't show up very good in my photo.  My lemons are very large they can get as big as oranges and grapefruits..they are Eureka lemons not the Meyer.  I used two very large lemons..probably more than the recipe stated so I could eat several slices before they went into the pie  ; )  You have eaten the real deal at the Shaker Village in PA?  The Shakers are fantastic cooks!

Sylvia

shallots's picture
shallots

I wouldn't have ordered it, it was just a nondescript item on the menu, but absolutely everybody sitting anywhere near us had it for desert and then the late comers to our left placed their dinner order and lead off with Lemon Pie to be sure that slices were saved for them.

Wouldn't it be a hoot to visit all the Shaker Villages and comparison eat their specialties?  Perhaps if we rode horseback between them we might survive the wonder of it.

trailrunner's picture
trailrunner

That pie looks so good. The link to the one Gazette article comes back as something else. I have been meaning to get Tartine's book so now look what you have done LOL. You are lucky to have a tree. c

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

trailrunner.  It's a very nice book with some wonderful recipes...I think you will enjoy it very much.  Type in the search box on the Gazette page 'Shaker Lemon Pie'  that should get you to the recipe.  I enjoyed it even more the next evening..the pastry recipe for the pie is very nice and flakey...I can get a flakier crust by hand than by the food precessor method.

Sylvia