Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie with Whole-Lemon Custard

Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie

Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie blends one seeded lemon, including its yellow peel, into a sweet egg-and-butter custard. The thin filling bakes in an unbaked deep-dish crust, developing a pale-golden, lightly cracked top while staying soft and yellow inside.

A thin-skinned lemon helps keep the filling from tasting bitter. Bake until the edges are set but the center still has a small wobble, then chill the pie so the custard holds its shape when sliced.

Prep: 15 minutes | Bake: 40 to 50 minutes | Cool and chill: at least 4 hours | Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients for Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie

• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pastry pie crust, crimped
• 1 medium-large, thin-skinned regular lemon, about 4 to 5 oz (about 120g) before trimming
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g), melted and cooled until warm, not hot
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional for serving: fresh whipped cream, offered alongside individual slices.

Choosing and Preparing the Lemon

Keep the yellow peel: it supplies much of the pie’s lemon flavor. Remove every seed before blending. If the white pith beneath the peel is unusually thick, remove the yellow zest first, discard much of the pith, and use the zest with the seeded flesh. Thick white pith can make the filling bitter.

How to Bake Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie

1. Preheat and prepare the crust: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Place the unbaked deep-dish crust in its pie plate and crimp the edge if needed. A thin baking sheet underneath can make the pie easier to transfer and catch drips; a heavy sheet may brown the bottom too quickly.
2. Prepare the lemon: Wash it, trim the ends, cut it into small pieces, and remove all seeds. Reduce unusually thick white pith as described above.
3. Blend the filling: Add the lemon, eggs, sugar, cooled melted butter, and vanilla to a blender. Blend until smooth, with no large pieces of peel remaining, scraping down the blender as needed. A food processor also works if it breaks down the peel finely.
4. Fill and bake: Pour the thin filling into the unbaked crust, leaving room below the crimped rim. Do not force excess filling into the shell. Bake uncovered for about 40 to 50 minutes, starting checks at 40 minutes or sooner if the top or crust colors quickly. If browning gets ahead of the custard setting, loosely tent the pie with foil or shield the rim.
5. Cool and chill: When the edges are set and only a small area in the center gently wobbles, move the pie to a rack. Cool for about 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing.

How to Tell When the Pie Is Done

The surface should be pale golden and lightly puffed; fine cracks are normal. Gently move the dish. A small center wobble is fine, but a broad liquid wave means the filling needs more time. Pie depth and ovens affect the baking time, so use this cue rather than waiting for the center to become completely still. The custard firms further as it cools and chills.

Serving and Storing

Serve the chilled pie plain, with whipped cream alongside if desired. Cover leftovers and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. The pie can be made ahead to allow time for cooling and chilling.

For longer storage, chill the pie until set, leave off the whipped cream, and wrap it airtight before freezing. For best quality, use within 1 to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator.

For another baked lemon pie, try Old-Fashioned Lemon Chess Pie. For a distinct no-bake option, see No-Bake Lemonade Pie.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per slice, based on 8 slices: 425 calories, 5g protein, 22g fat, and 53g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g: 385 calories, 4g protein, 20g fat, and 48g carbohydrates. Estimates exclude optional whipped cream; the pastry crust used will affect the totals.