Honey Pie
Recipe by Ema
Honey is a key ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes, which is what inspired Ema Partner and Executive Pastry Chef Yasmin Gutierrez to create what has become one of the River North restaurant’s signature desserts, the Honey Pie. The custard-like, sweet filling, baked into a thin, buttery and flaky crust, comes sprinkled with sesame seeds and a side of grilled grapes and whipped cream. It’s the perfect way to end a meal of mezze favorites!
Honey Pie
A dreamy, Mediterranean-inspired dessert
Yield: 1 pie (8 slices)
Ingredients:
1 pie shell (see sub-recipe below)
¾ cup butter, melted
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1⅛ cup honey
4 whole eggs
¾ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
FOR PIE SHELL:
½ cup butter (cold, cubed)
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
Uncooked rice (to use as weight during baking)
Method:
To Prepare Pie Shell:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Add flour, sugar and cold butter to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.
3. Paddle on low until butter breaks down to pea-size pieces.
4. Add white vinegar and continue to paddle until dough begins to come together. Be careful to avoid overmixing and stop once it looks like a crumb topping.
5. Press dough into a tart mold to create the crust.
6. Lay a sheet of parchment paper over the tart mold and fill with uncooked rice to weigh the crust down, then bake for 25 minutes.
7. Remove rice and bake for another 20 minutes, until evenly golden.
8. Set aside to cool while you prepare filling.
To Prepare Honey Pie:
1. Reduce oven heat to 300°F.
2. Add melted butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Stir in honey, then add eggs one at a time using an immersion blender to incorporate.
4. Add heavy cream and white vinegar and mix well with the immersion blender until fully combined.
5. Pour pie filling into the prepared pie shell until it meets the lip of the crust.
6. Bake for one hour and 10 minutes. The Honey Pie is done when the center is set but still slightly moves.
7. Allow to cool completely. Serve with grilled grapes or fruit of choice and whipped cream.
