Be forewarned: that's a lot of butter in one little pie. This *kind* of thing-salty, nutty, honey-laced--is right up my alley, but it took a LONG time to set, so I had to keep cooking it, which made the crust overly brown (even though I tried to cover the crust w/ tin foil). And it was SUPER rich; like, too rich. And was already salty enough without the added salt on top. (I'm fairly certain my butter was unsalted and the saltiness was due to the 1/2t that goes in the filling). I'm not saying it's not good, but ...reheating it also resulted in a pool of melted butter oozing out from around it. Maybe just a little too rich...
Grizzly Bear Pie
This honey and walnut pie, served at Brooklyn restaurant Vinegar Hill House, is a wry twist on the usual nut pie: its deliciously sweet filling is based on honey, and a light sprinkle of flaked sea salt lends a touch of depth. A slice of this makes the perfect end note to any hearty winter meal.
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Credit: Anna Stockwell
INGREDIENTS
1 lightly prebaked 9-inch pie shell6 oz. (about 1½ cups) walnuts
½ cup white sugar
⅔ cup honey
¾ tsp salt
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup heavy cream
1 whole egg plus 1 yolk
Pinch flaked sea salt, like Maldon
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly toast the walnuts on a cookie sheet or in a dry skillet over medium low heat. When the walnuts have cooled, break them up a bit using your hands, and scatter them in the bottom of the prebaked pie shell.2. Make the honey filling: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, honey, and salt and stir until blended. Add the butter and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until the butter has melted and the mixture comes just to a boil.
3. Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in vanilla, and allow mixture to cool for about 20 minutes or to room temperature.
4. Once the honey mixture has cooled, whisk in the cream. Add the egg and yolk and whisk again until well combined. Pour the filling over the walnuts, taking care not to over-fill the shell (you may have more honey filling than you need; reserve it for another use.)
5. Bake pie for 40-50 minutes or until filling is set but still jiggles slightly, and the pie crust edge is deep golden brown. The pie will continue to set as it cools. Sprinkle the cooled pie with Maldon or other flaked sea salt, if you wish.
