Caramelized Honey Pie Food

CARAMELIZED HONEY PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven:
• Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the parbaked pie crust on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
• Brown the butter:
• In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium-low heat, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides constantly with a heatproof spatula. The mixture will sputter as the water boils off. Continue to cook, stirring and scraping, until the sputtering subsides, the butter is foaming, and the solid bits turn a dark brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Caramelize the honey:
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the honey (to prevent the butter from burning), stirring to combine. Return the saucepan to medium heat and bring to a boil. Continue to cook, swirling often, until the mixture is darkened slightly and has a savory, nutty smell, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly stream in the heavy cream, stirring constantly (be careful-the mixture may sputter) until it's smooth. Set the warm honey mixture aside.
• Make the pumpkin filling:
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the whites and yolks, then add the brown sugar and whisk vigorously until the mixture has lightened in color by a shade or two, about 1 minute. Whisk in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves until smooth. Slowly stream in the warm honey mixture, whisking constantly, until the filling is completely homogenous.
• Fill the crust and bake:
• Pour the filling into the parbaked crust all the way to the top. (Depending on the height of your crust, you may have some leftover filling, which I recommend you keep! Ever so carefully transfer the pie to the center rack and bake until the filling is set and puffed around the edges and the center wobbles gently, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Cool the pie gently:
• Turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Let the pie cool completely in the oven. Doing so will allow it to cool gradually, which will prevent cracking on the surface.
• Serve:
• Slice the pie into wedges and top each piece with softly whipped cream. Grate a bit of fresh nutmeg over the cream and serve.
• Do Ahead: The pie, covered and refrigerated, will keep up to 3 days but is best served on the first or second day (the crust will soften over time).
• Cooks' Notes
• Use a good-quality, dark-hued honey. The more strongly flavored the better, so it stands out against the pumpkin. Just don't use buckwheat or chestnut honey, which are too intense.
• Bake any remaining pumpkin filling separately in a small ramekin. I like to do this to prevent ingredient waste, and also because it allows me to sample the filling prior to cutting into the pie!

CARAMELIZED HONEY PIE

Steps:

• Place flour in large bowl. Cut 1/2 cup butter into small pieces. Add to flour along with the cream cheese. Use pastry blender or 2 knives to cut butter and cream cheese into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Shape into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Place dough on lightly floured surface; roll into 10-inch round. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; press dough onto bottom and up side of pie plate. Flute edge.
• Melt remaining butter; pour into medium bowl. Add eggs, honey, cream, vinegar and vanilla; whisk until blended. Add sugar and cornstarch; mix well. Pour into crust.
• Bake 45 to 50 min. or until center is almost set and top is golden brown. Cool completely.

HONEY PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°., Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edges are golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into crust. Cover edge with foil. Bake at 400° until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Top each serving with optional toppings as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

CARAMELIZED-HONEY BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Place 3/4 cup honey in a medium saucepan and scrape in vanilla seeds; save pod for another use. Cook over medium-high, swirling pan occasionally, until honey darkens and smells almost burnt (don't worry, this is what you're going for!) and bubbling begins to slow, 5-8 minutes. Gradually add cream, then milk, to caramelized honey, stirring constantly until combined.
• Whisk salt into egg yolks in a medium bowl, then stream in honey-caramel mixture, whisking constantly. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. Divide among ramekins.
• Place ramekins in a large baking dish lined with a dish towel (it will keep them from sliding around) and pour in boiling water around ramekins so it comes halfway up sides.
• Bake until edges of custards are set but centers still jiggle slightly, 65-75 minutes. Remove ramekins from water bath and let custards cool, about 1 hour. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Just before serving, sprinkle custards evenly with sugar and heat with torch until sugar is melted and caramelized to a deep amber color. Your goal is to make a thin, smooth, brittle crust that shatters when broken.
• Do ahead: Custards can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.