It’s hard to find a dessert that works for almost any occasion, but by golly, this just might be the IT dessert for 2019. I served a Honey and Lavender Pie to a group of women on the weirdest variety of diets you’ve ever imagined. There must be a lot of companies making money telling people not to eat anything delicious, but this is their worst nightmare because no one could resist “just a tiny slice” of this delightful pie. And why would you? This pie features local honey and homegrown lavender. It’s hard to make that sound like a bad thing. The crust is marvelous too. Crusts are so easy to make, it’s really worth it. You can probably whip one up in the food processor faster than unwrapping a store-bought crust. And it actually tastes good! There is the quick 3 ingredient crust that my sister favors (Blog site) but there is a persistent rumor that adding a tipple of vodka to the dough ingredients makes for an exceptionally light and flaky crust so I gave it a shot (of vodka). It worked! It’s an all butter crust with flour, water and a tablespoon of vodka, plus salt. The vodka was lemon infused – not necessary – but it did lend a little something. The finished crust took less than a minute to make and I left it to rest in the fridge. The filling was lavender, sugar, honey, eggs, butter, and cream. Not everyone has lavender in the yard but it’s easy to acquire at Amazon, Whole Foods, World Market, and probably lots of other places. Most recipes that use lavender will tell you to pulse it or chop it, but personally – I like the whole flowers – they are a tiny burst of flavor. Skipping that step makes the filling a cinch. Mix lavender and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add melted butter, eggs, a pinch of cornmeal, honey, and cream until just combined. Preheat the oven, roll out the crust and the perfect pie is 30 minutes away. This pie has such a beautiful fresh taste that it would be a shame to add a garnish and mess with that taste. Yes, whipped cream would be pretty, and raspberries would add color, but you just don’t need to go there. The filling is almost like a flan and you wouldn’t want to change that. The pie needs to rest for at least a couple of hours, but after that it keeps well for a day or two – should that happen. Truly everyone had at least that “tiny slice” and some had to have “just one more taste”. It’s a hit. And the song keeps me humming “Sugar pie honey bunch – you know that I love you – I can’t help myself….”
Just change the words to Honey Pie with Lavender. You will love it – you can’t help yourself. Enjoy!
Pie Filling
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lavender flowers
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) melted
3 eggs
3 tsp cornmeal
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp salt
Directions
In the bowl of electric mixer, combine sugar and lavender flowers and blend on high for 1 minute.
Add butter, eggs, and cornmeal and mix until just combined.
Add honey, cream, and salt and mix until just combined.
Refrigerate filling while preheating oven and rolling pie crust.
Pie Crust (may use pre-made)
1½ cup flour
1 stick very cold butter cut in at least 8 pieces
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp vodka (optional)
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice cold water
Directions
Combine flour, butter, salt and sugar in a food processor until butter is incorporated.
Add vodka and water and pulse until dough comes together.
Flatten dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before using.
On a floured surface, roll dough to ¼ inch thickness and press into pie pan.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pour filling mixture into prepared crust.
Bake on bottom shelf of the oven until top is browned and edges are beginning to set, about 30 minutes.
Cool at least 2-3 hours before slicing.
