One of the great things about traveling around the US is that each area has their own specialties when it comes to food. This pie hails from Ohio and is also sometimes called a Shaker lemon pie. Shakers are a religious group that lived largely separated from the larger society. Part of their ethos was that craftsmanship should be plain and high quality – and this was true of their food, too. Shakers had communities across the US, but were more settled in New England and in the Midwest. There were once 2 Shaker settlements in Ohio. Today there is only 1 Shaker village left in the US, located in Maine.
Not unlike some of the other Shaker treats I grew up with, this lemon pie is chock full of flavor, with whole slices of lemon swimming in a sweet filling and surrounded by a flaky pie crust on top and bottom. If you love citrus then this pie is a must-try recipe.
With the shortcut of using 2 pre-made pie crusts this recipe isn’t hard at all. But, you will have to plan ahead when making this one. To get the lemons ready and to melt the sugar you’ll need to place the lemons, salt, and sugar together in a bowl overnight so the flavors can come together.
The thinner you slice you lemons the easier the pie will be to cut so keep that in mind.
After you press 1 one of the crusts into the pie pan brush with an egg wash. Then fill the pie with the filling, which is the overnight lemon mixture combined with eggs and vanilla.
Then pop the top crust on and cut a few vents in the top for steam to escape. You’ll need to cover this pie part way through baking to ensure it doesn’t get too browned on top.
You can serve this Ohio lemon pie with or without whipped cream for a luscious taste experience. It’s easy to see why this recipe has been a regional favorite for so many years!
Ohio Lemon Pie
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 medium lemons, seeded and very thinly sliced with skin on
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 8-inch frozen pie crusts, thawed
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
- Place lemon slices, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cover with plastic and allow to sit for 8-12 hours undisturbed or overnight.
- When ready to bake preheat oven to 450˚F. Whisk eggs until frothy. Line a 9” pie pan with first crust. Brush with eggs. Pour remaining eggs into lemons and add flour and vanilla. Stir well and pour into crust. Cover with top crust and trim excess. Cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 450˚F, then reduce oven to 400˚F. Cover with foil to prevent over-browning and bake for 15-20 more minutes. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home .