How to Make Salty Honey Pie

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Sweet and salty go together like bees and flowers, always creating something truly special. This delicious Salty Honey Pie recipe features our So Cal varietal and perfectly balances its sweetness with a salty, flaky crust for an unforgettable dessert. Our partner Miss Foodie Problems was inspired by the honey pies she tried at Sweedeedee in Portland and Brooklyn-based Four and Twenty Blackbirds. We love this pie even more with the decorative bee toppers included in the recipe. After all, our little pollinators are the ones who make this recipe so sweet.

Servings: 8 slices

Prep time: about 45 minutes

Cook time: about 45 minutes

Wait time: 1 hour + overnight + at least 3 hours cooling

INGREDIENTS

For pie crust:

(makes one 9-inch pie)

- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup frozen unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup ice

For bees:

- About 15 chocolate covered raisins
- The same number of toothpicks
- White chocolate chips
- Turmeric
- Sliced almonds

For pie filling:

(makes one 9-inch pie)

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornmeal
- 1 vanilla bean, cut in half with contents scraped out
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp apple vinegar
- 1 tbsp flaky sea salt, for finishing we prefer Jacobsen

DIRECTIONS

For pie crust:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Cut 1/2 cup frozen unsalted butter into about 1-inch cubes. Add to mixture. Use a [pastry cutter](https://amzn.to/2Dc4waL)(or a fork) to combine until everything is blended. It’s okay for pea-sized pieces of butter to remain.
2. In a glass measuring cup, mix together 1/2 cup cold water, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 cup ice. Add 2 tbsp of this mixture to the flour mixture from above. Using the pastry cutter, mix until liquid is fully incorporated. Add 1 tbsp of the liquid mixture at a time until the dough starts to come together. (You may not use all of the liquid.) Start to form a ball with your hands, incorporating the remaining dry bits. Use your hands to form the dough together into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Once the dough has chilled, generously sprinkle a work surface with flour. Unwrap the dough and place it on the work surface, sprinkling the top with flour. If the dough is too hard, you can let it rest for a few minutes. If the dough seems too sticky at first, generously add more flour. Use a rolling pin with light pressure to roll from the center out, rotating the dough as you go. Roll it to about 12 or 13 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Move the dough into the pie plate by placing the rolling pin in the middle, wrapping each side of the dough around the rolling pin, then lifting it into the pie plate. When the dough is in the plate, gently press it into the bottom and sides of the plate. Fold the excess dough in towards the center of the pie plate. The dough should still go to the edge of the pie plate. At this point, crimp the edge of the crust as you’d like, either with your fingers or a pastry crimper. Once you’re done, cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

For bees:

1. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper and place chocolate covered raisins in rows.
2. Pour about 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Microwave in 15 – 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted.
3. Stir a pinch of turmeric into the melted white chocolate. Add a shake at a time until it’s at your desired yellow color.
4. The chocolate is probably too thick to drizzle. If so, add oil 1/2 tsp at a time and stir until it’s the right consistency.
5. Dip one end of the toothpick into the chocolate. When you lift the toothpick out of the chocolate, it should begin to drip into a line. Bring it over to the raisins and quickly draw stripes on.
6. Pick out almond slices for the wings and let the chocolate in the bowl cool off a bit more. Dip one end of each wing into chocolate, then place them on either side of the prepared raisins. If they aren’t sticking, try holding them in place with your fingers while they set.

For pie filling:

1. Once your pie crust has been crimped & frozen, make the filling. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375º F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp cornmeal, the contents of 1 vanilla bean, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk in 3/4 cup honey, then whisk in 3 eggs. When thoroughly combined, whisk in 1/2 cup heavy cream and 2 tsp apple cider vinegar until fully incorporated.
3. Place the frozen pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour filling into the shell. Transfer the baking sheet containing the pie to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees and continue baking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. The pie is finished when the crust is golden and puffed up a bit. The center of the pie will still jiggle but will look more gelatinous instead of liquid and will be a dark, golden brown. Allow to cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack – about 3 to 4 hours – before serving.

(Recipe by Miss Foodie Problems

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