"What is your favorite pie to bake?" I get asked this A LOT and I feel like my answer is always changing!
Over the past several years, I have baked thousands of pies, but for the most part -- I am baking flavors that you see every day at Pie Bar: Apple Streusel, Bourbon Chocolate Pecan, and Coconut Cream.
BUT, before we establish the current Pie Bar menu, I spent a lot of time testing recipes and trying a variety of different pie flavors and styles.
During Year One of owing Pie Bar, Cody and I hosted a monthly event called
"A Great Pie Tasting."
At "A Great Pie Tasting" folks would purchase a ticket to sample and rate 8 different flavors of pie. The pie tasters feedback and ideas helped us develop our original Pie Bar menu. It was THE BEST.
Some of those pies were recipes I had dreamt about and wanted to try IRL
(Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie) while others were adaptations from some of my favorite cookbooks. One of most divisive pies we tried was the Salty Honey Chess Pie created by Four & Twenty Blackbirds, a pie shop in New York City.
This pie is incredibly sweet thanks to it's namesake - Honey, but the addition of the flaky sea salt helps balance the flavor. It is addictive, in the best way possible.
We only made this pie very briefly at Pie Bar (it has a very specific crowd of people!) BUT, I knew it would be a fun one for you to bake at home.
I did a Facebook LIVE Bake Along where we made this pie together.
We laughed, we mixed, and we chatted about what the heck chess pie actually is.
We saved the video and the recipe for you so that you can bake this pie any time you want!
Happy Baking!
Lauren
Salted Honey Chess Pie
This recipe was originally written by Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop and adapted by Lauren Bolden of Pie Bar & Pie Provisions.
Components of the Pie:
1 Regular Pie Dough - Rolled out and in a 9” pie pan. Keep refrigerated.
Honey Chess Filling - Recipe and Ingredients below.
Flaky Sea Salt for Topping - My favorite brand is Maldon.
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients: Honey Chess Filling
¾ cup Granulated Sugar
2 tablespoons cornmeal
¼ teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt
½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted
¾ cup Honey (I love clover honey!)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons White Vinegar
3 Large Eggs, lightly beaten/mixed
½ cup Heavy Cream
Ingredients: Topping of the Pie
1 to 2 teaspoons of flaky sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Directions: Mixing the Honey Chess Filling:
1. In a large bowl, combine ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornmeal, and
¼ teaspoon of coarse kosher salt. Whisk together until combined.
2. Pour in ½ cup of melted unsalted butter. Whisk until combined.
3. Pour in ¾ cup honey, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons of white
vinegar. Whisk until combined.
4. Pour in 3 large, lightly beaten/mixed eggs. Whisk until combined.
5. Pour in ½ cup heavy cream. Whisk until combined.
Directions: Assembling and Topping the Pie:
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Remove the 9” pie pan containing the pie crust from the refrigerator.
3. Pour the honey chess filling into the pie crust. Place on a rimmed baking sheet
and bake on the middle rack of your oven.
4. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. The pie is finished baking when the edges
are set and “puffy” and the center is golden brown and no longer liquidy (set
more like puffed up gelatin).
5. Remove the pie from your oven, allow to cool on a baking rack for
approximately two hours, and then keep the pie refrigerated until ready to
serve.
6. Once ready to serve, sprinkle approximately 1-2 teaspoons of flaky sea salt
over the entire pie.
This pie lasts in your refrigerator for up to 7 days.