It may surprise you to know that one of the most popular recipes in the Old Line Plate database doesn’t contain oysters, crab, or even chicken. As I’ve spent hours poring over community cookbooks and dusty manuscripts, I started to notice a ubiquitous pie that appeared in cookbooks – often in multiple forms. As of May 2019, I’ve collected 170 recipes for lemon pie.
For comparison, I have about 50 recipes for apple pies. 37 for White Potato Pie. I haven’t indexed every Maryland cookbook, but I don’t think that white potato is going to catch up to lemon any time soon.
I was recently at the Pratt Library paging through “How We Cook in Salisbury,” a late 1930’s cookbook put out by the St. Peter’s Church (in Salisbury, obviously), when I came across an especially amusing arrangement of lemon pie recipes.
One page had a recipe from Mrs. David Dallas, for “Lemon Pie.” Directly below that recipe was one from Mrs. A. Percy White, entitled “Superior Lemon Pie.”
How we cook in Salisbury, edited by the Woman’s guild of St.Peter’s church, Salisbury at the Enoch Pratt Library
I doubt that Mrs. White knew that the recipes would appear in this order, let alone that she meant anything smug by her pie recipe. I have about a dozen so-called “superior” recipes in my database, including a ‘superior’ omelet, ‘method of curing hams’, ginger loaf, and tooth powder.
To further vindicate Mrs. White of being cheeky, her recipe dates back to at least 1913, when it appeared in the “Modern Women of America Cookbook,” under the “Superior Lemon Pie” name.
Mrs. A Percy White (left),1966, Salisbury Daily Times
Mrs. A. Percy White was born Julia Doremas McPherson in 1896 in Aqasco, Prince George’s County. Her husband, Arthur Percy White was a local politician, insurance salesman, and club leader who often gave lectures at local churches. Mr. White founded the Wicomico County chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
The couple lived at 712 S. Park Drive in Salisbury. Julia and A. Percy died in 1968 and 1963, respectively.
When I made Mrs. White’s Pie, I realized why lemon pie was such a mainstay. Made with inexpensive pantry staples (except, maybe, lemons), the pie is so much more than the sum of its parts – a tart but smooth and sweet delight. I brought the pie home for Mother’s Day and my grandmother fondly recalled making lemon pies “…with Cream Corn Starch,” coincidentally the brand I’d used myself. (I couldn’t resist the box, with its throwback graphics and promises of “purity”.)
Summit County (Ohio) Beacon, 1849
Corn starch was discovered in 1840. Although Wikipedia says that it was primarily used for laundry until 1850, corn starch pudding recipes were prevalent by the late 1840s. Lemon pie is their descendant.
In case you were wondering, I did make Mrs. David (Jennie) Dallas’ recipe and well. Yes, it was a little inferior. Mrs. Dallas isn’t to blame at any rate, as her version appears in many 1930s newspapers. It never has the word ‘superior’ attached to it, so you get what you get.
Recipe:
- 2 lemons
- 1.5 Cup sugar
- 2 heaping Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 eggs, separated
- 2 Cups water
- piece of butter the size of a walnut
- 3 Teaspoons sugar
Grate into a deep dish the outside of the ring of 2 lemons. Add to that 1 1/2 c. white sugar, 2 heaping tbsp. cornstarch, stir well together; then add the yolks of 3 well beaten eggs beat well and add the juice of the lemons, 2 cups water, and a piece of butter the size of a walnut. Cook in a double boiler until it thickens and will dip up on the spoon like cold honey. Remove from fire and when cooled, pour into a deep pie crust. Make meringue of the 3 egg whites and 3 tsp sugar and brown slightly.
Recipe from “How We Cook in Salisbury,” edited by the Woman’s Guild of St. Peter’s Church, Salisbury, at the Enoch Pratt Library
