Bert Greene, cookbook author and longtime food columnist for The New York Daily News, was traveling home while in the service and happened to stay in a hotel in Montgomery, Ala. and dined in their restaurant. He ordered a piece of pie and upon his return home, he tried to contact the cook to ask for the recipe, but never got a response.
He called the hotel manager only to learn that the cook couldn’t read or write, and there was no recipe. Mr. Greene returned to Montgomery and stood with the wonderful lady in her kitchen as she made the pie and recorded the recipe so that others could enjoy Montgomery Pie.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoons soft butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 deep dish pie crust
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat one egg with the lemon juice and rind, ½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 cup water. Beat until smooth and pour into unbaked pie shell.
Beat butter and one egg in a large bowl; add 2/3 cup sugar and baking powder; then alternatively add milk and 1-1/2 cups flour (about 1/3 each time). Beat until smooth then spoon the mixture over the first layer of the pie.
Bake 35-40 minutes. Check with toothpick for doneness. Cool on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy. Be sure to spoon the lemon filling left in the pan over the top of the slice before serving.
