Art of the Pie

Shaker Lemon Pie - From Art of the Pie

A story…

My mother didn’t cook when I was young. I have it on good authority that she did actually cook when I was very young, say before I was six. But around that time she went back to work as a high school teacher and at that point, Dad took over the cooking duties. Mom would cook on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and on Easter she’d cook a ham. I used to joke that she cooked 2.5 meals a year (because really… just a ham isn’t a meal). She’s a great cook – when she wants to be. But while she doesn’t hate cooking, Dad enjoys it, so most of the time, they are both perfectly happy with that arrangement.

Fast forward to when I went off to college. Mom asked me if there was something she could cook for me before I left. I only had one request. I wanted a blueberry pie. So Mom made me a blueberry pie. I swear, that was the best pie I ever had. I’m sure that most people would have called it a good pie, but to me it was amazing because my mother, who never cooked, made it for me.

Mom’s pie was filled with not only blueberries, sugar, and flour, but with good intentions and love. Kate McDermott, who teaches Art of the Pie, believes that it is the good intentions that truly make a pie. Her pies truly are art and anyone can learn how to make them. She believes that no one owns pie. Her hope is that once you’ve taken the Art of the Pie class, you’ll make pie, you’ll love pie, and then you’ll pass pie along to someone else.

Many bakers (and many non-bakers) will tell you that while cooking is often an art, baking is a science. Ingredients must be measured precisely and in the right combinations, or all hope is lost. In some circumstances, that’s true. Adding 1 Tbsp of baking soda instead of 1 tsp of baking soda will produce near disasterous results. But ending up with a couple extra tablespoons of flour in your pie crust? Not something to worry about.

Shaker Lemon Pie

Kate teaches pie baking the way I teach cooking. It’s by feel. She shows you first, all the while explaining the whys, but then you get right in there with your hands and replicate what she’s done. The class is only six people, so you get plenty of one on one attention. She’ll check your crust at various stages, giving you feedback on how you’re doing, all in the most encouraging, mothering-but-not-smothering manner.

You’ll be able to choose from a couple of different types of pie and everyone leaves with a fully baked, still warm pie along with a folder of recipes and Kate’s promise that if you ever have a pie question, all you need to do is email her and ask.

For my class, we could choose from blueberry, boisenberry, cherry, or a special Shaker lemon pie. Since we don’t use lemons, being locavores, I decided that this was my best chance to make a Shaker lemon pie since I wasn’t the one buying the lemons (yes, a technicality I know). It’s an old recipe, held over from when Ohio Shakers would travel by boat to New Orleans to get lemons. They didn’t want to waste any of those precious lemons, so they devised a recipe that would use the entire lemon, rind and all. This is a delicious and simple recipe and as you can see from the photos, my pie turned out absolutely beautiful. It also tasted out of this world.

Shaker Lemon Pie by Art of the Pie (though the recipe is all over the web)

• 2 lemons, sliced as thin as you can get them
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• Crust for a double crust pie

1. Combine the lemons and the sugar and let sit for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Beat 4 eggs in a large bowl and mix in the sugared lemons and their juices.
3. Add a pinch of salt and give it one more stir.
4. Lay the bottom crust in the pie shell and fill.
5. Top with the top crust, pinch the edges, and cut vent holes.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 450 and 25 minutes more at 375.
7. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Notes:  This is a sweet, tart, and creamy pie. Let it cool before slicing, as that’s how it will properly set up. The lemon rinds are just a tad bit crunchy, but they are so thin that they yield easily. Store this pie on the counter, as according to Kate, unless you’ve got a pie that contains dairy, pie should never be stored in the refrigerator.

You’ll notice that I haven’t provided Kate’s crust recipe. First, it’s on the web, just search for it. Second, I’ll be baking more pie as part of my “homework assignment” and I’ll definitely share it later in another post. But really, her techniques are the real point of the class, not the exact recipe. Sure, she has a favorite recipe. Yes, it’s a kick-ass recipe. But is it the only recipe? No. Her recipe uses lard, something not everyone is comfortable with. You can use all butter, or even shortening, though unless you have to, she wouldn’t recommend it.

Her techniques are the real beauty. She teaches you how to make a pie crust by feel, which is a skill you really need the class for. You’ll learn the importance of cold ingredients, and how to tell when you need to stop and re-chill the crust and the dangers of overworking the crust.  You’ll learn to let the fruit stand without copious amounts of sugar, something most standard recipes tend to ignore. Most of all, you’ll learn how to infuse your pies with good intentions, a practice that sounds a bit “out there” at first, but really is the key.

I cannot recommend her class enough. If nothing else, you’ll never have a fear of pie again. And really, pie should never intimidate or scare anyone. Pie is delicious!