Lavender Honey Custard Pie

• servings: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch single-crust pie (see page 207), partially prebaked (see page 68)

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)

Directions

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 notto 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.