Grizzly Bear Pie
Well this dreadful semester is over and winter break is in full swing which means I’ll be giving Quick Feet, Good Eats more attention now that I have the time – aka I’ll be annoying all my fellow Facebook friends and Twitter followers with my {New Post} statuses.
As I hunted for new recipes to try for the holidays, I came across this honey-walnut pie featured on SAVEUR’s site – and I’m glad I did. This Grizzly Bear Pie is a take on Vinegar Hill House‘s own recipe and it’s a “twist on a usual nut pie” with a sweet, dense honey filling. I was unsure of whether or not this would be good, because quite honestly, I’ve never made a nut pie and I’m not a huge fan of pecan pie, but this pie was amazing. It was sweet, but not too sweet and had just the right balance between nuts and filling. I highly suggest making this pie if you’re looking for something a bit more sophisticated than just the typical cookie or cupcake.
Vinegar Hill House’s Grizzly Bear Pie
from SAVEUR
MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE
Ingredients:
- 1 lightly prebaked 9-inch pie shell
- 6 oz. (about 1½ cups) walnuts
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅔ cup honey
- ¾ tsp salt
- 8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 whole egg plus 1 yolk
- Pinch flaked sea salt, like Maldon (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly toast the walnuts on a cookie sheet or in a dry skillet over medium low heat. When the walnuts have cooled, break them up a bit using your hands, and scatter them in the bottom of the prebaked pie shell.
Make the honey filling: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, honey, and salt and stir until blended. Add the butter and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until the butter has melted and the mixture comes just to a boil.
Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in vanilla, and allow mixture to cool for about 20 minutes or to room temperature.
Once the honey mixture has cooled, whisk in the cream. Add the egg and yolk and whisk again until well combined. Pour the filling over the walnuts, taking care not to over-fill the shell (you may have more honey filling than you need; reserve it for another use.)
Bake pie for 40-50 minutes or until filling is set but still jiggles slightly, and the pie crust edge is deep golden brown. The pie will continue to set as it cools. Sprinkle the cooled pie with Maldon or other flaked sea salt, if you wish.