If You Love Salted Honey Pie, this Tangy Buttermilk Tart Version Will Win You Over

I fell in love with salted honey pie one day several years ago during breakfast at Portland’s neighborhood café, Sweedeedee. I have wanted to make my own version ever since. Rather than a traditional pie shell, I found turning it into a tart was more fun and easier to serve for a party. It travels better than way, too.

This tart blends rich, dark New Zealand Manuka honey with tangy, thick full-fat buttermilk for a delicious twist. Pureed and whole fresh blackberries are placed on top once the pie cools along with airy, crunchy salted honeycomb candy, and fresh sprigs of mint. You can eat the tart without the toppings, though. Finish with flake salt, then serve. It’s a slice of heaven.

Serves: 8-12 Prep Time: 30-40 minutes, plus chill time Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

• 3-4 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

For the Filling

• ¾ cup Manuka honey

• 3 large eggs at room temperature

• ½ cup Demerara sugar

• 1 cup well-shaken, full-fat buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon finely ground cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Topping

• 12 ounces fresh blackberries, washed and patted dry

• 8 ounces Salted Manuka Honeycomb, broken into small pieces

• 6-8 small fresh mint sprigs

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat. Using your fingers, work in the flour until the butter resembles the size of peas.

2. Add the water and mix to combine. The dough should come together easily, but not be wet or sticky. Wrap the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle to ⅛-inch thick. Wrap around the rolling pin and transfer to the 10¾” x 7½” tart pan. Press the dough into the pan. Run the rolling pin on the top ridge of the tart pan to trim off any excess dough.

4. Position the rack in the center and preheat the oven to 425°F. 

5. Using a fork, dock the dough with a fork, then line it with parchment paper and pie weights, and bake until the crust is golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Lift the parchment and pie weights from the tart shell and continue baking until it is fully baked, 5 to 10 minutes more. The crust should be golden and crisp – do not under bake; a pale crust will lack flavor and become soggy once the filling is placed in it. Cool completely. 

6. Reduce the oven to 350°F. Make the pie filling.

7. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the filling ingredients. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned, the sides are set and the center is slightly jiggly. 

8. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool for about an hour.

9. Puree 6 ounces of the berries in a processor fitted with the blade for 15-20 seconds. Using an offset spatula or a table knife, spread the puree on top of the tart. Place the honeycomb pieces on top of the puree. Add the whole blackberries in between the honeycomb. Garnish with the sprigs of fresh mint.

10. Serve.

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