HONEY CUSTARD PIE

 

HONEY CUSTARD PIE

 

 

I have some wonderful memories of my dear & beloved Great-Aunt, Mrs. Margaret TenElshof.  Sadly, my "Best Girl" had to leave us on February 14th, 2015 at the age of 100 years young.  I've shared a couple of other wonderful recipes in Piegest that she either shared with me, or were cultivated under her guidance or influence.  However, this one's pretty special, because "My Best Girl", as I used to refer to her as, once used to refer to me as "My Little Honey" or "Such A Honey."

Well, with her recent passing, I couldn't help feel the need to offer a pie that solely incorporated exactly that.  The result was this wonderful offering, also from my friend and fellow pie enthusiast Ashley English.  You can find this recipe in her wonderful book A Year of Pies:  A Seasonal Tour of Home Baked Pies.

 

 

HONEY CUSTARD PIE:

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 Pastry Pie Crust, Already Prepared

·         1 Cup Whole Milk

·         4 Large Eggs, Room Temperature

·         ½ Cup Honey

·         2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

·         Pinch of Salt

·         Freshly Grated Nutmeg or Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

**This pie crust is blind baked, so be sure to follow either these directions or use your preferred method to blind or pre-bake your crust.**

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare your favorite pastry pie crust recipe in advance, lining one baking sprayed pie plate with pie pastry.  Trim your crust edge and crimp edges, as well as be sure to prick the bottom of your pie pastry with a fork to allow for venting.

Line the inside of your pie pastry with a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper.  Fill the  inside of the parchment with pie weights, uncooked rice, coffee beans, dried beans, or nuts to allow for some weight which will allow the crust to bake and not lose its shape or shrink as it bakes.

Bake crust for 12 – 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven, leaving temperature at 400 degrees.

As you allow the pie crust to cool, remove your weight and paper from the crust.  If it still needs a few minutes to bake, return to oven for 5 – 7 minutes to allow to finish baking without the paper & weights.

Allow crust to cool fully before filling with custard.

 

FOR CUSTARD:

Warm your milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Watch carefully and remove from heat just before the bubbles begin to form on the surface of the milk.  Set aside.

In a small separate bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk your eggs, honey, vanilla, and salt.  Add the warmed milk to the egg mixture slowly, and a small bit at a time, whisking as you pour.  This prevents your egg from immediately cooking.  Whisk as you continue to add the milk each time.

Once most all of the milk has been added to the egg mixture, pour the blended egg/milk into the remaining milk in your saucepan and whisk completely to ensure all ingredients are fully blended.

Pour your filling mixture into the prepared crust.  Sprinkle the top with freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon before putting into the oven on a baking sheet.  Cover your pastry crust edges with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes.   Allow to cool for 1 hour before serving.  Garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream if desired.





CARAMELIZED ONION & BLEU CHEESE PIE

CARAMELIZED ONION & BLEU CHEESE PIE

 

 

In a recent visit back home, I was reminded at dinner one evening of some personal favorite flavors that my Dad enjoys.  Namely, Onions and Bleu Cheese.  I have some pretty strong memories of nearly any salad he ever ate had bleu cheese dressing on it.  In fact, it's my dad who actually introduced me to that concept that I now love of creamy-yet-kicks-back as a texture and flavor combo.  Onions, can usually make or break a dish if not incorporated carefully.  So, there we have it!  Two very distinct flavors that add and enhance most dishes, if not make them stand out on their own.  So, the challenge was to find a way to blend these two interesting palate teasers harmoniously, and not have the final product leaving you disappointed.  Thankfully, my fellow pie enthusiast, Ashley English had exactly what was needed in her fantastic book A Year of Pies:  A Seasonal Tour of Home Baked Pies.

 

 

CARAMELIZED ONION & BLEU CHEESE PIE:

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 Pastry Pie Crust, Already Prepared.

·         3 Lbs. Sweet Onions

·         3 Tbs. Unsalted Butter

·         1 ½ Cups of White Wine

·         1 Cup Beef Stock

·         ¼ Cup Sugar

·         1 Cup Bleu Cheese Crumbles, Separated

 

DIRECTIONS:

Peel your onions and cut them into rings.  Cut the rings in half.  In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add wine, stock, and sugar to the onions and continue cooking for another 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Stir the mixture frequently – every 4 to 5 minutes or so – until there is no more liquid at the bottom of the pan.

Continue cooking your onion mixture for an additional 15 to 30 minutes until the edges of the onions start to brown or slightly crisp.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out your previously made & chilled pie crust, and line a baking sprayed pie plate with the pastry.  Return to refrigerator until filling is cooled enough to fill pastry.

Remove your onion mixture from heat and let cool for 3 to 4 minutes.  Once cooled, mix ½ cup of your bleu cheese crumbles into your onion mixture. 

Remove  your pastry crust from the refrigerator and fill with your onion and cheese mixture.  Sprinkle your remaining ½ cup of bleu cheese crumbles on top. 

 

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until your crust is golden brown.  Cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

 

**BAKERS NOTE:  This makes for a wonderful pie on its own, however, try it with sautéed beef steak strips added at the filling stage, or it also makes a fantastic side accompaniment with grilled salmon.