Years ago, a friend of mine posted a version of this recipe to my Facebook page with well wishes for National Pie Day. I receive more messages on National Pie Day than I do my birthday. Anyways, it was the pie I’d been waiting for – unique, simple and perfect for the winter months when all the good fruit is out of season. The original recipe was from a pie company in Brooklyn that I’ve been dying to try – Four and Twenty Blackbirds. The recipe as written was too sweet for me, so I’ve adjusted it over the years to fit my taste. By scaling back amount of honey, the sweet calms down letting the flavor of the honey really shine. This is complimented by a splash of salt making it an experience that to this day is unmatched.
When I say unmatched, I’m not kidding. This is by far my most requested pie. So much so that a dear friend requested it to share with his wife who was in hospice as they celebrated their final wedding anniversary. That was the highest stakes pie I have ever made, and though that friend has also since passed away, it was a reminder of what an important role food plays in creating memories and experiences.
Lately, this pie has found its way into a new nickname – Apocalypse Pie. Another friend who was experiencing this life changing pie for the first time joked that this pie could sustain him through an apocalypse because salt and honey last forever.
So, friends, I give you Apocalypse Pie. If salt and honey can make it through anything, so can we. 🙂
