Key Lime Honey Pie

My parentals went to Orlando a few weeks ago, and apparently they were thinking of me. They didn't know it when they originally booked the week, but they were there at the same time as Megacon. (My dad wanted to tease me by saying they met Wil Wheaton, but momma told him that would be cruel). Apparently they met a few Whovian cosplayers outside of the con, and my mom told them about my blog and that I was going to do a Doctor Who series, and gave them my url.

(So if you're the girl with a Tardis hat that a random lady with a Brooklyn accent talked to in a restaurant in Orlando, hi!)

Besides hawking my blog to fellow Whovians outside of conventions, my parents also bought me presents. I got an owl necklace, a rainbow Mickey key chain, and some key lime honey.

Yup. That was key lime honey. As in honey, but with key lime oil.

Now, I'm not the world's hugest fan of honey, but this isn't an ingredient one encounters often. I knew that I had to do something to really showcase the honey itself. But what?

Then this weekend, I was in a pie mood. I was looking at chocolate pie recipes, when all of a sudden I remembered my key lime honey. A honey pie!

I found a recipe for honey chess pie (okay, being from the northeast, I'm not completely sure what a chess pie is, other than it has cornmeal in it), and subbed in some lime juice for the lemon.

Like I said, I'm not the hugest fan of honey, and as it's the most prominent ingredient in this pie, I didn't expect to really like it. And you guys, I was totally wrong.

This pie, it tastes like a key lime pie, but with the earthier, warmer flavors of the honey and brown sugar. Key lime pie is bright and fresh and tropical, like sitting on a beach in the Bahamas; this pie is like a summer picnic beside a mountain stream. With the sun warmed water and the birdsong and the dappled sunlight coming in through the tree leaves and just a touch of cool mountain breeze.

It's not overly sweet, and the lime flavor is the most prominent. But you can definitely taste the honey, and it's got a great custard-y texture. (I also made a Bisquick crust, which is great for people like me that have pie crust issues, but a more traditional pastry crust would definitely be better.)

It's also a fairly ugly pie, but you just slice up some limes really thin, lay them on top, et voila! Ugly pie is made pretty. It's like one of those makeover shows. But with pie.

Key Lime Honey Pie {Printable Version}
Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients
1 9-inch pie shell, partially baked
¾ cup packed brown sugar
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup key lime honey*
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. cornmeal (preferably white, but I used yellow)
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add the honey, eggs, and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Add the cornmeal and flour and beat until fully incorporated. Add the lime juice, followed by the heavy cream, and beat on medium-high speed until well incorporated.

Place the prepared pie shell on a baking sheet. Pour the prepared filling into the shell, and bake 45-65 minutes, until the middle is set (tent the edges with tin foil to prevent over-browning). Allow to cool completely before serving. Best served at room temperature.

*If using regular wildflower honey, add 1-2 tsp. lime zest

Recipe adapted from Desserts From the Famous Loveless Cafe