Best 6 Lemon Cajun Sweet Dough Pies Recipes

THE BEST LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, salt and vinegar in a food processor until the mixture looks like damp sand, about 10 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until you can still see large pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 3 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and dump the dough onto the plastic. Using the edges of the plastic, press the dough into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. (Freeze up to 2 months.)
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie dish, gently pressing the dough into the edges and letting the excess dough drape over the sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Trim any excess dough with a paring knife and crimp the edges decoratively or press them down with the tines of a fork. Prick the dough on the bottom all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper inside the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is deep golden brown on the edges and lightly golden in the center, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups water and whisk to combine. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. Place the sugar mixture over medium heat and cook, continuing to gently whisk, until the mixture begins to bubble and is extremely thick. Temper the eggs yolks by slowly adding half of the hot sugar mixture to the yolks while constantly whisking. Add the tempered yolks to the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest until completely melted and incorporated. Pour the filling directly into the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the filling (see Cook's Note). Refrigerate while you make the meringue.
• For the meringue: Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk together to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to make sure the meringue completely covers the filling and meets the crust all around the edges. (This will seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Use the offset spatula to create swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is completely cool and set, about 4 hours.

CAJUN SWEET DOUGH

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat the butter, then add the sugar a little at a time. Add the vanilla. Beat the mixture until it is nice and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with the milk.
• Before you use this dough, be sure you chill it well at least 2 hours or even overnight.
• To make turnovers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 inch squares. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the pie filling into the center of each square and fold over to form a triangle. Pinch the seams to seal or press with the tines of a fork. Place at least 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Brush with egg white.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the tops and bottom.

LEMON ZEST PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Sift flour and sugar into a large bowl. Cut in butter until it is in pea-sized pieces.
• Make a "well" in the flour mixture. Pour in water and lemon zest. Carefully fold into the flour mixture until lightly combined.
• Make another "well" and pour in lemon juice; lightly fold into the batter. Repeat with vanilla extract. Add more water if needed to bring the dough together.
• Form dough into 2 separate, equal-sized discs and cover in plastic wrap. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.

SWEET DOUGH FOR PIES

Steps:

• To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium
• mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Then using your hands or a pastry blender, break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Occasionally reach down to the bottom of the bowl and mix all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse ground corn meal and no large pieces of butter remain visible.
• Beat the egg(s) in a small bowl and pour over the flour and butter mixture. Stir in with a fork until the dough begins to hold together, but still appears somewhat dry. Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
• To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all.
• Add the egg(s) to the work bowl and pulse ten times or so, until the dough forms a ball.
• Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
• Press the dough into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough). Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6 inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.
• Storage: Keep the dough in the refrigerator up to two days, or freeze it doublewrapped in plastic. Because the dough is thin, it will defrost quickly at room temperature when you intend to use it.
• Variations:
• SPICE CRUST:
• Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each freshly grated nutmeg and ground cloves to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter. Double the quantities for the 2 crust recipe.
• COCOA DOUGH:
• Add 2 tablespoons sifted non alkalized cocoa powder to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter. Double the quantities for the 2 crust recipe. If the dough seems dry after adding egg(s), add a teaspoon or two of water, no more.

LEMON CAJUN SWEET DOUGH PIES

Steps:

• Make sweet dough:
• Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In bowl of a standing electric mixer beat butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in milk and vanilla (batter will appear curdled). With mixer on low speed beat in flour mixture, a little at a time, until it forms a dough. Halve dough and form each piece into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 3 hours.
• Cut twenty-four 6-inch squares of wax paper. Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into 12-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut out 6 rounds with a 5-inch round cutter, sandwiching each round between 2 squares of wax paper, and stack on a baking sheet. If dough becomes to soft to work with, transfer it to a baking sheet and chill until firm. Roll out and cut remaining piece of dough in same manner, sandwiching rounds between remaining squares of wax paper, and stack on baking sheet. Chill rounds until firm and wrap each stack carefully with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Dough may be made 1 day ahead and chilled.
• Make filling:
• In a heavy saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt and gradually whisk in water and milk until cornstarch is dissolved. In a bowl whisk together yolks. Cook milk mixture over moderate heat, whisking, until it comes to a boil. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup hot milk mixture into yolks and whisk yolk mixture into remaining hot milk mixture. Bring custard to a slow boil, whisking, 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, lemon juice, and zest until butter is melted. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Do not stir filling or it will break down.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and lightly butter 2 baking sheets.
• Discard top square of wax paper from 1 dough round and spoon 1 tablespoon filling onto center of round. Using wax paper fold dough over to form a half circle, enclosing filling, and press edges together lightly. Transfer pie to baking sheet, discarding paper, and crimp edge with a fork. Prick pie with fork once. Make 11 more pies with remaining dough rounds and filling.
• Bake pies in 2 batches in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until golden brown around edges (dough will crack open slightly), and transfer to racks to cool. Pies may be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Serve pies chilled or at room temperature (do not let pies stand more than 30 minutes at room temperature).

SWEET DOUGH CRUST (FOR TARTS AND INDIVIDUAL PIES)

Steps:

• Dough:.
• In mixing bowl beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and whichever flavorings you choose, mixing well.
• Combine baking powder and flour and slowly add to butter mixture beating until combined.
• Divide dough into two discs and wrap in waxed paper.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Remove one disc at a time and roll between two sheets of waxed paper until 1/8" thick.
• Cut 4" circles from dough.
• Place one heaping tablespoon of filling slightly off center in the top half of the dough circle.
• Fold over to create a semi-circle and gently press dough together to seal.
• Crimp edges using the tines of a fork.
• Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned around edges.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Fillings:.
• Whichever filling you decide to use the steps are basically the same.
• Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and water.
• Cook over low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Combine cornstarch in cold water and add to filling mixture.
• Bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.