Lavender Honey Custard Pie
This custard looks and tastes like a warm and sunny spring day. Feel free to try different types of floral honey in this recipe, such as orange blossom, dandelion, or linden.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch single-crust pie (see here), partially prebaked (see here)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon stone-ground white cornmeal
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
⅔ cup lavender honey (or any variety floral honey)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 large egg yolk
1½ cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 drops food-grade lavender oil
Candied lavender flowers, to garnish (recipe follows)
The recipe for candied lavender flowers will provide more than you need for this pie; save them in an airtight container (in the freezer or cupboard) and sprinkle on cakes, cookies, and breads.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the prebaked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornmeal, and salt. Whisk in the melted butter, followed by the honey. Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and lavender oil, and whisk well to combine.
Strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the pie shell, or strain it into a separate bowl and then pour it into the shell. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, 30 to 35 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is no longer liquid but still quite wobbly. Be careful not to overbake or the custard can separate; the filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or cool.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 2 days or at room temperature for 1 day.
Candied Lavender Flowers
3 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200°F.
Pour the lavender flowers into a small bowl, sprinkle with the water, and fluff with a fork to distribute the water evenly. Pour the moistened lavender flowers into a 6-inch or larger fine-mesh sieve and shake off any excess water. Sprinkle the sugar, ½ teaspoon at a time, over the flowers, shaking to distribute the sugar in between additions. Tap the sieve firmly against the heel of your hand to shake off excess sugar. Spread the flowers evenly on the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven to dry for 20 minutes. Cool, and then break up any clumps with your fingertips.
Candied flowers will keep indefinitely in an airtight container.
Lizzie’s Lemon Sour Cream Pie
Our grandmother’s cream pies were some of our favorites as kids. If she ever had too much filling for the pie, she would set it aside in a bowl for us to have as an after-school snack. This recipe is based on one of her classic cream pies—our favorite.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch single-crust pie (see here), fully prebaked (see here)
2½ cups sour cream
½ cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons plus
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of 2 lemons
¼ teaspoon orange zest (from about ¼ orange)
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Grate fresh lemon zest on top of the fresh whipped cream immediately before serving to add a bright note—if you do it too long before serving, it will dry up and look unpleasant.
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the sour cream, milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, zests, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Then remove it from the heat.
Have ready a fine-mesh sieve positioned on the rim of a large bowl. Whisk the yolks in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the hot lemon mixture to temper the yolks. Add the yolk mixture back to the saucepan, return the mixture to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
Pour the filling into the sieve and press through with a spatula. Allow the filling to cool for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until each one is incorporated before adding the next. Pour into the prebaked pie shell and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the filling. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
Before serving, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, and continue whipping just until the cream holds stiff peaks. Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and spread the whipped cream over the filling. Refrigerate until serving.
The pie will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.