Monday 26 May 2014

Salty Honey Pie

















The only thing I achieved today was pie... I'm okay with that.



Disclaimer: Moco Honey supplied me with some of their honey to try.


Salty Honey Pie
slightly adapted from Emily and Melissa Elsen's The Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book

For the Pastry:
170g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons caster sugar
115g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup ice-water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

For the Filling:
115g unsalted butter, melted
160g caster sugar
1 tablespoon polenta (yellow cornmeal)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3/4 cup honey (Use a really good honey)
3 eggs
125ml cream
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

Make the Pastry:
Put the flour, salt and sugar into a food processor and blitz briefly to mix. Add the butter and whiz quickly until you have a rubble of larger and smaller pieces of butter in the mix. It's best not to over process.

In a small jug, mix the water and vinegar together. Add half to the butter and flour rubble, blitz again. Pulse the processor while adding enough of the rest of the water-vinegar mixture to bring it together into a soft dough. Try not to over process. Form the pastry into ball, pat it out to a flat disc and wrap it in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry out to about a 26cm round. Line the base and sides of a 23cm pie dish with the pastry. Tuck the excess pastry under and crimp the edges with your finger or the tines of a fork. Pop the pastry-lined pie dish into a freezer bag, seal and freeze overnight.

Make the Pie:
Preheat the oven to 190C. Take the frozen pie crust out of the freezer, unwrap it and place it on a rimmed baking tray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter, caster sugar, polenta (cornmeal), salt and vanilla paste. Stir in the honey and add the eggs, one at a time. Then stir in the cream and vinegar.

Pour the filling through a fine-mesh sieve into the pastry case. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through the cooking time. The pie is cooked when the filling is puffed and golden and the centre is just slightly wobbly. Place the pie dish on a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

22 comments:

  1. This was the first pie I made from that cookbook too! SO good. Yours is absolutely stunning!!!

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    1. Thanks Marie. I remembered that you had made this, but couldn't find it on your blog.

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  2. Honey pie?! Why have I not heard of this before! I must try this immediately. Thank you for this heavenly creation. :)

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  3. I'm crazy about pies and right now, I'm craving to jump in my apron and make this pie. It looks fudgy and sweet and ouff...delicious. As usual, I love your pictures!!! :)

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    1. Thank you. Now go and get your apron and start baking.

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  4. I never thought that polenta could be used in a pie but I LOVE the idea! The texture of your pie seems simply amazing and oh so creamy!

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    1. The polenta is there to add structure to the filling. It's one of the best pies I've ever eaten, and I've eaten a lot of pie.

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  5. wow your pie looks amazing!

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  6. And what an achievement this beauty is! I love honey! We are so lucky to have friends who are amateur apiarists whose bees produce delicious honey, and this would be a perfect home for some of it! Thanks Jen.

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    1. You're welcome my friend. This pie really does require the best honey and your friends honey sounds perfect.

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  7. Oh WOW! I love honey; it's such a magic food! I'm so curious to try this soon.

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    1. I do hope you try it. It's divine... even if I do say so myself.

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  8. What a beauty! Soft, sweet, honeyed goodness with little pops of crunchy salt flakes.
    I WANT. This would be worth crossing the Nullarbor for... x

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    1. Come on over... I'll have to bake you another one, but I'm totally okay with that.

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  9. Loving everything about this pie. Salt and honey are the BEST combination, and then you add pie crust! Mmmmm

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    1. Could agree more - sweet honey salty... er salt. Magic.

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  10. I made this last night for a family dinner. I was such a treat. Just had a second slice with my morning coffee and the Sunday papers. What a lovely weekend!

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    1. How delicious! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. Have a great day.

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  11. Oooh, yummy. My Peter would love this one!

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    1. Yes, I think he would. You'd get major brownie point Liz. :)

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