Go Back

Salted Honey Pie

The crust will get a little darker as it baked, once filled. If it's getting too dark, you can either 1) Drape a sheet of foil lightly over the entire pie (making sure it's not touching the top of the pie filling, 2) Fashion pieces of foil over just the crust while the pie is baking, or 3) Use a pie shield. To make this gluten-free, you can use the Pretzel Pie Crust (using gluten-free pretzels) and cornstarch in place of the flour in the filling. The pie dough can be made in advance and either refrigerated for up to two days (either unrolled or rolled and fitted into the pan), or frozen (either unrolled of rolled and fitted in the pan) for up to two months. Once baked, the pie can be kept at room temperature (or refrigerated) for up to 5 days.

For the crust

  • 1 1/4 cups (175g) flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces (8 tablespoons, 115g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
  • 3-4 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

  • 4 ounces (8 tablespoons, 115g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup (45g) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour, or 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (240g) honey
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, heavy cream, or crème fraîche
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • flaky sea salt, to finish the pie

To make the pie crust

  • Assemble the pie crust by mixing the flour, sugar, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (It can also be made in a bowl with a pastry blender or in a food processor.)
  • Add the cubed butter and mix on medium speed until the butter is broken up into little pieces roughly the size of corn kernels. Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and mix on low speed until the dough begins to come together. If it appears dry, add the final tablespoon of ice water.
  • Stop the mixer and use your hands to gather the dough, and shape it into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch (35cm) round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch (23cm) pie plate or pan. Ease the dough into the dish and trim the dough hanging over the edge, leaving about an inch (2.5cm) of dough hanging over. Fold the overhanging dough under the rim of the pie. Crimp the rim of crust and return the pie dough to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until firm.

To make the filling

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line the pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake the dough until it starts to set around the edges and turns a light golden brown. Remove the foil and weights, and continue to bake until the crust is
    very light
    golden brown. If it puffs up during baking at this point, gently press it down by poking it with a fork a few times and using a spatula to tap it down. Do not bake the pie shell until dark brown. Remove the pie shell from the oven to a wire rack. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and honey. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the sour cream and vinegar. Scrape the filling into the baked pie shell. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is almost set. It should still jiggle, but not be watery. (If the edges of the crust get too dark during baking, use one of the techniques listed in the headnote to mitigate that.)
  • Let the pie cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving.

Notes

Variation: Replace 3 tablespoons of the sour cream (or heavy cream) with bourbon or dark rum.