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Honey, White Miso & Walnut Pie

Pie crust from Four & Twenty Blackbirds.

Honey walnut filling inspired by & adapted from Four & Twenty Blackbirds & La Cigale. 

For an easy timetable:

- The day before serving: Make the all-butter pie crust and leave wrapped in the refrigerator

- The day of serving: Roll out the pie crust, crimp and place in freezer. Make the filling. Bake the pie and leave to cool for at least 2-3 hours. Allow 1 hour in fridge for sharp slices. 


Author: Claudia Brick
Ingredients
All-Butter Pie Crust
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 112 g (1 stick, 1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • ice cubes
Honey, White Miso & Walnut Filling
  • 300 g walnut pieces toasted gently (if they are halves, roughly chop after toasting)
  • 150 g 3/4 cup caster sugar
  • 170 g good quality honey (1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons white miso
  • 120 g unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 3 large eggs
  • flaky sea salt to top
  • Creme fraiche to serve
Instructions
Pie Crust
  1. Using a food processor or a pastry blender in a large bowl, stir the flour, salt and sugar together. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture (or pulse briefly in the food processor) until mostly pea size pieces of butter remain. A few larger pieces are okay. If using a food processor, transfer the flour-butter mixture to a large bowl.
  2. Combine the water, cider vinegar and ice in a bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture, and mix and cut it in with the bench scraper, spatula or your fingers until fully incorporated. Continue to add the ice water mixture, 1-2 tablespoons at time, until the dough just comes together with a few dry bits. This normally takes about 10-12 tablespoons total.
  3. Shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
  4. Roll out the pie dough to line a greased, 9 inch (22cm) pie pan: place the dough on a large piece of baking paper on your work surface with a sprinkle of flour (it may need to rest for 5 minutes to soften enough to roll). Use a rolling pin to roll out to about 30cm diameter. Move the dough onto the pie plate by folding the baking paper & dough in half over your rolling pin, peeling the backing paper over and unrolling the dough onto your pie plate. Press firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan and trim the edges, leaving about 1cm overhang of the rim for crimping.
  5. Crimp the edges as you like (see here for some useful instructions). Transfer the pie tin to the fridge at any time in this process if you feel like the pastry is getting gummy or gooey/warm - try again in 5 or 10 minutes.
  6. Place the crimped shell in the freezer until solid, at least 20 minutes.
Honey, White Miso & Walnut Filling
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a small baking dish, roast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes, or until fragrant but not too browned. Roughly chop and set aside.
  2. In a medium pot, combine the honey and caster sugar and melt together. Add the miso and whisk until no lumps remain. Bring to a simmer where you have a few bubbles starting at the edges of the pot.
  3. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
  4. Put a baking tray in the oven to cook the pie on so it is preheated (for the crispiest bottom crust!)
  5. When ready to bake the pie, whisk the cream and vanilla into the honey mixture until fully combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine between each addition until thick and shiny.
  6. Fold through the roughly chopped toasted walnuts .
  7. Pour the pie filling into the frozen pie shell.
  8. Place on the preheated baking tray in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes until the pie crust is well browned, and the pie is set on the edges and just has a little bit of softness in the centre -this will set as the pie cools.
  9. Set aside to cool for at least 2-3 hours before serving. For the cleanest, sharpest slices, refrigerate for an hour before slicing.
  10. Top with flaky sea salt and serve with creme fraiche.