I usually make an apple- or honey-themed dessert for the office for Rosh Hashanah and this year I tried something a little different -- a honey pie (which is actually a tart) from Nigella Lawson. I didn't know that honey pie was a thing but apparently it is; Nigella adapted her tart from the Salted Honey Pie recipe in The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by Emily and Melissa Elsen. I always prefer making a tart to a pie, so I went with Nigella's version.
The tart has a press-in crust that is a snap to make. You just mix together flour, salt, olive oil, and milk, and press the dough into a fluted tart pan (I used a 10-inch diameter pan with a removable bottom that was one inch tall). I made the crust a day ahead of time and kept it in the freezer. You make the filling by melting butter in a saucepan and letting it cool slightly; adding sugar, cornmeal, Maldon salt, and vanilla; stirring in honey; and adding eggs, heavy cream, and apple cider vinegar. I made two tarts and used two different types of honey. For the first tart I used wildflower honey. For the second I used a very dark and robust avocado blossom honey. I bought this honey at the Calabasas farmers market the last time I was visiting my parents in California. The quality and variety of products available at that market never fail to amaze me, and my brother and I each bought three pounds of avocado blossom honey after tasting it and falling in love with its rich molasses-like flavor.
You pour the filling into the raw, frozen crust and bake. I had the perfect amount of filling for the size of the crusts. After I took the tarts out of the oven I sprinkled on more Maldon salt and let them cool completely before slicing them.
The top surface of the filling on both tarts was very dark and contrasted starkly with the crusts, which were completely cooked through but pale and practically uncolored. I'm not sure why the crust is filled and baked from frozen instead of being blind baked first to give it some more color -- but aside from being pale, the crust was excellent. It was buttery and exceptionally tender. Plus, it was easy to get the slices of tart off of the bottom of the tart pan.
The tart filling held its shape after being cut and I thought the slices were quite elegant. Having never tasted a honey pie or tart before, I wasn't sure what to expect -- but I fell in love at first bite. The filing was custardy but firm and the tarts weren't overly sweet; the salt cut through the rich caramel-y sweetness of the honey nicely. I liked the fact that the filling layer was relatively thin. And the wildflower honey and avocado blossom honey produced equally flavorful and delicious results. I wholeheartedly recommend this recipe and am happy to say that I'm now a fan of honey pie!
Recipe: "Honey Pie" by Nigella Lawson (adapted from the Salted Honey Pie in The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by Emily and Melissa Elsen).
The tart has a press-in crust that is a snap to make. You just mix together flour, salt, olive oil, and milk, and press the dough into a fluted tart pan (I used a 10-inch diameter pan with a removable bottom that was one inch tall). I made the crust a day ahead of time and kept it in the freezer. You make the filling by melting butter in a saucepan and letting it cool slightly; adding sugar, cornmeal, Maldon salt, and vanilla; stirring in honey; and adding eggs, heavy cream, and apple cider vinegar. I made two tarts and used two different types of honey. For the first tart I used wildflower honey. For the second I used a very dark and robust avocado blossom honey. I bought this honey at the Calabasas farmers market the last time I was visiting my parents in California. The quality and variety of products available at that market never fail to amaze me, and my brother and I each bought three pounds of avocado blossom honey after tasting it and falling in love with its rich molasses-like flavor.
You pour the filling into the raw, frozen crust and bake. I had the perfect amount of filling for the size of the crusts. After I took the tarts out of the oven I sprinkled on more Maldon salt and let them cool completely before slicing them.
The tart filling held its shape after being cut and I thought the slices were quite elegant. Having never tasted a honey pie or tart before, I wasn't sure what to expect -- but I fell in love at first bite. The filing was custardy but firm and the tarts weren't overly sweet; the salt cut through the rich caramel-y sweetness of the honey nicely. I liked the fact that the filling layer was relatively thin. And the wildflower honey and avocado blossom honey produced equally flavorful and delicious results. I wholeheartedly recommend this recipe and am happy to say that I'm now a fan of honey pie!
Recipe: "Honey Pie" by Nigella Lawson (adapted from the Salted Honey Pie in The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by Emily and Melissa Elsen).
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