Better With Butter Recipe
Shaker Lemon Tart: A Star Is Born
My favorite winter dessert (hands down) is Shaker Lemon Pie. Each bite is a pop of sweet-sour goo, chased by a chew or two of flaky rich crust, resilient rind and simple unadulterated flavors of homespun goodness. With such attributes, you’d think I could leave it alone. Fat chance, this plain Jane pie is begging to be gussied up, to sport a makeover worthy of her farm-fresh ingredients and taste potential. Yep, I turned this country cousin into a city tart.
Why change things? For as much as I love this pie it has two shortcomings: tough lemon rinds and a deep-dish thickness that can overwhelm. By reinventing the pie into a thinner tart and reworking the filling into a smoother more refined custard, the dessert shines on all levels.
I start with a butter rich dough and roll it out into a circle about two to three inches larger than the tart pan.
I press the dough gently down into the pan to cover the bottom and sides. Try not to stretch the dough or it will spring back during baking.
A quick firm roll of the pin removes all excess dough.
Unlike the original pie recipe, I pulse the filling in a food processor, reducing the stringy long rinds (think citrus-flavored rubber bands) into tiny bright bits of lemon essence. 
I add a top crust and run the rolling pin over the pan again to cut off the edges, and in this case use a star cookie cutter to add dough appliques and a needed air vent in the center.
The top crust shrinks a bit to reveal the golden gleam of Shaker lemon pie custard.
- FILLING
- 2 large organic lemons
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 4 eggs
- 4 tbsp. butter, melted
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- PIE DOUGH
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 10 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp. lard or vegetable shortening
- ice cold water
- FOR THE FILLING
- Thoroughly wash lemons
- Finely grate lemon zest into a bowl.
- Slice lemons very thin; remove and discard seeds.
- Add slices to zest and toss with sugar and salt.
- Cover and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours.
- When ready to make the pie, put the mixture into food processor (blade attachment)
- Add room temperature eggs one at a time, pulse to mix
- Melt butter, add to mixture, pulse
- Mix cornstarch with water to make slurry, drizzle into mixture
- Pulse until well mixed and lemon rinds are small bits
- Set aside and make crust.
- MAKING PIE DOUGH
- Sift flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter or forks to blend butter and shortening into flour
- Stop blending when lumpy
- Sprinkle in up to 6 tbsp. of ice water, stirring dough with a fork until it just begins to hold together.
- Press dough firmly into a rough ball
- Move to lightly floured surface.
- Give the dough several kneads with the heel of your hand to form it into a smooth ball.
- Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- BAKING and ASSEMBLY
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into two 12″ rounds.
- Fit one round into a 9-10″ tart pan
- Cut dough edges off with rolling pin over the top of the tart tin
- Pour filling into tart pan. leaving about 1/4 inch from top of rim
- Cover pie with remaining pastry round.
- Run the rolling pin again to cut the edges off the top
- Cut steam vents in top crust (or cookie cutter holes at the time of rolling)
- Brush with half and half, sprinkle sugar on top.
- Bake until edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 350° and bake until crust is golden brown, 25–30 minutes more until firm
- Remove from oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
:: Use organic lemons
:: Farm-fresh eggs make a big difference in this recipe (or any recipe)
:: Brushing the top crust with milk, half and half or cream facilitates browning
:: Sprinkle sugar on top before baking for a nice finish
:: Serve with ice cream (whipped cream will do in a pinch) 
Crazy for cookie cutters: Pastry snowflakes tend to fall on my Shaker lemon tarts this time of year.
The post was sponsored and made buttery delicious by Darigold.
You’re a lemon lover after my own heart. I’m obsessed with all things lemon!
Also, love the new clover background – clover is one of my favourite scents in the world. It’s so delicate and underrated…Clover means summer to me! And we’re missing summer up here in Toronto!
And the rain, rain, rain comes down, down, down here in the Great Pacific Northwest!
If your computer is slow to download you might even see Tom’s foot enjoying the clover before the grey box covers it!
Will Santa put one of these in my Christmas stocking?
Oh! Wow!! To die for!! Or died and went to lemon heaven!! Everything is perfect about your first contribution to the Butter is Better Recipes Collection..Yummy!!
Tom – how delicious! Anything lemon has me drooling in a New York minute! Love this recipe…and your cookie cutters too.
Ina gawne recently posted..CURRIED WILD RICE AND CRANBERRY PILAF
Fell in love with Shaker Lemon Pie decades ago after discovering it at a restaurant. Took literally another decade to find the recipe for the first time. Now I have 3 versions. It never disappoints. I like your thinner layer of filling idea, though, as the flavours are powerful.
Testing butter recipes… must be Hell doing all the research!
I made Tom’s Shaker Lemon Tart and I can honestly say it is the best lemon tart I have ever eaten – and easy too! Thanks Tom XO
Janet NZ recently posted..Sleepy
Twitter: tallclover
says:
Ah Janet, that makes me beam! Thanks for trying it and sharing your stellar review.
Twitter: tasteofbeirut
says:
oh wow! love the way you decorated this tart and the lemon filling! this tart could win you a blue ribbon at a State Fair you know!
TasteofBeirut recently posted..Three cheese quiche
Could the filling be made ahead and (gasp!) frozen for a couple weeks? Would cooking the custardy filling slightly in a double boiler prevent the eggs from doing funky things in the freezer? I want to make this to bring to the family holiday gathering the weekend after Christmas, and the lemons on my potted lemon treelet are ready now, and the amazing fragrance in the zest will not be there in two weeks.
Twitter: tallclover
says:
Hi Annabel, here’s my suggestion, just make the lemon and sugar part of the filling, then freeze that, or put it in a jar in the fridge, between the acid and the sugar, it will keep a long time I bet. Then when you’re ready to make the pie, then add the butter and eggs to the thawed lemon-sugar mixture and pulse it all in the food processor. In fact, I plan on canning some of the lemons and sugar only so I can make the pie whenever I want without having to let the lemons stand 24 hours. I’ll just add the butter and eggs to make the custard. Hope this helps.
What a glorious & very appetizing festive pie! It rocks my taste buds! ooh yes!
Tom, I made the Shaker Lemon Pie last night for Groundhog’s Day . It’s fabulous! Everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Twitter: tallclover
says:
Sara, that is music to my ears! I think I may try to come up with a key lime version–stand by, back to my kitchen laboratory!
what about meyer lemons and limes?
Have you ever sprinkled lime juice in an apple pie? ooo la la
I also made a quince cake for Groundhog’s Day with quince from my little orchard. It was luscious. Do you want the recipe?
Twitter: tallclover
says:
Hi Sara, I’ve been wanting to try this recipe with key limes but have yet to. And I love lime juice on apples. In fact a squirt of lime juice in a glass of apple juice makes it sing! And yes, I’d love to try your quince cake, do send the recipe, please.