Homemade Shaker Orange Pie

Like many people, I love pie. I mean it, I really love pie and I've eaten a lot of them over the years. Sweet, savory, you name it, I'll try it. That's what led me to make this fairly simple, super flavorful pie for the first time.

Shaker Orange Pie is a variation of a lemon pie that I made for my mother-in-law, for Mothers Day. Being that it was a citrus based pie, I figured subbing in oranges (my favorite summer fruit) would be pretty easy. I had to make a handful of adjustments, but the final pie was everything I hoped it would be. It had loads of orange flavor, plus the crust was super light and flaky which just melted in my mouth. I honestly wanted to eat the entire pie in one sitting.

I've since made it 3 times, the last being Father Day (yes I made myself a pie) and it really gets better each time I make it.

I hope you enjoy!

1 Double Pie Crust (I made mine from scratch with this recipe A Healthier Flaky Double Pie Crust w/ Coconut Oil)

3-4 Large Oranges

2 Cups of Water

1 3/4 Cups Sugar

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

1 Table spoon Cornstarch

4 Large Eggs

1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

*Be sure to wash your oranges thoroughly, especially if they are store bought. In Shaker cooking, they use as much of the food that they are preparing as possible, to minimize the waste. So this recipes uses everything from the peel to the pulp (minus the seeds).

As I stated before, I made my crust from scratch using this recipe (A Healthier Flaky Double Pie Crust w/ Coconut Oil). It only takes 5 minutes to make the dough and an hour to chill before rolling out. Trust me, it's worth it.

Once your crusts are prepped, place them in the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes, while you make the filling.

You can also go ahead and preheat the oven to 425 degrees and adjust your oven rack to the lowest position.

To start, cut the oranges in half and seed them. Next slice the orange half's as thin as possible, using either a mandoline or a very sharp knife (peel and all). Next squeeze the orange slices through a strainer and reserve the juice in a separate bowl. You are looking for at least a 1/2 cup. Also, be mind full of loose seeds.

Finally, combine water and the drained orange pulp/peel mush, into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature to medium and simmer until soft (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from the heat, drain well, and discard the water.

*I find it easier to get cleaner slices if I place the oranges in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to slicing. Be careful not to go over though, as they do not juice as well if they are totally frozen.

**It's ok if the slices are not whole or if they are even shredded, as long as they are thin.

***Boiling the slices removes the bitterness from the pulp/peel and by combing it with the fresh juice and sugar, it alleviates the need to macerate the slices in sugar over night, hence speeding up the process.

In a large bowl combine the orange slices, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup of the orange juice. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cool in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.

Whisk together cornstarch and the remaining orange juice in a separate bowl. Whisk in the eggs until combined. Then slowly temper in the chilled orange mixture in to the cornstarch/egg mixture, being sure not to cook the eggs.

Transfer into your prepped pie crust. Brush the edges with heavy whipping cream and roll the top crust across the pie. Trim of any excess dough and working your way around the pie, press the edges with a fork to seal. Cut 4 small slices in the top crust to vent and brush with the remaining heavy cream.

Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake for an additional 20-25 minute or until golden brown.

Cool for at least 1 hour on a wire rack before serving.

It's a great treat, warm or cold! In fact, I think I'm going to go grab a slice right now.

*Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days.