THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’
Sponge Cake Lemon Pie.
Juice and grate rind of one large lemon, one cupful of sugar, two eggs, two tablespoonfulls (rounded) of flour, one cupful of milk. Put the sugar into the yolk and beat, add the flour and beat again, add the milk. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites, being careful not to beat the mixture after the whites are added. The whites rise to the top while baking, and form a sort of meringue so the pie is really as good to look at as to eat.
~handwritten recipe, found in a copy of {Willey, Francis. The Model Cook Book. Philadelphia: R.B. Jones, 1903}.
THE UPDATED RECIPE
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- ½ c. all-purpose flour
- grated rind of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 c. milk
- 2 egg whites, beaten stiff
- Pastry shell, for one 9-inch diameter pie (I used the “Rich Short Crust” recipe).
Prepare a pastry of your choice, and line a 9-inch diameter pie plate.
Preheat oven to 425F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and the sugar; mix well to combine thoroughly.
Sift the flour, and add it to the sugar and egg yolk mixture; beat with a wooden spoon to blend it thoroughly.
Grate the rind of the lemon, and add it to the mixture.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon, then strain it, and add it to the filling.
Beat thoroughly, until the mixture is smooth.
Add the milk, and beat the filling mixture with a rotary beater, until it is light and smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks; then gently fold them into the filling mixture, until thoroughly incorporated.
Pour the filling into the prepared (uncooked) pastry shell, and put the pie immediately into the preheated oven.
Bake at 425F for approximately 5 minutes; then reduce the temperature to 325F, and bake approximately 30 to 40 minutes longer, until the filling is lightly golden brown, and set.
Allow to cool before serving.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
This pie has an interesting texture and mild lemon flavour.
A note from Patricia: I love lemon squares, lemon curd, lemon meringue pie, lemon anything. This recipe seemed a bit different, and when I searched for examples of what this would look like on the interenet, it seems that this is a traditional Amish recipe. The Amish and Mennonite communities are known for their baked goods, especially their pies, so I knew it would be incredible. I used the “Rich Short Crust” pastry (only about half of the recipe…. I froze the rest for another pie) and of course made it gluten-free using 1:1 gluten-free baking flour, and for the flour in the custard, I subbed the GF flour once again. And what can I say? This Sponge Cake Lemon Pie was fantastic. It had a refreshing lemon flavour, and an airy texture. The custard base was creamy and delicious, and the sponge-like topping that floated to the top was fluffy and unique. 10/10.
Mother – You must never put off till to-morrow what you can just as well do to-day.
Freddie – Then let me finish that pie now.
~The Hamilton Spectator, March 17, 1897.
Looking for other pie recipes? Try any of these…. you won’t be sorry!
the prog basket 