A rose-scented, honey-sweetened custard, in a rose-scented pie crust, sprinkled with pink Himalayan sea salt and paired with a lush rose mead (rhodomel). This custard pie is based on an old recipe attributed to my Irish great-great grandmother; my dad’s sister Marthanne perfected the family recipe. The rose and honey riff is my own.

From The Art of Mead Tasting and Food Pairing by Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor (used with permission)

Equipment: rolling pin, pastry cutter
Time: 55 min
Hands-on: 20 min
Yields: one 9-inch pie

Notes for making pie crusts: For best results, freeze dry ingredients overnight, and keep all liquid ingredients in the refrigerator until you are just ready to begin. Use a metal or ceramic pie pan: Do not use a glass pie pan as these make soggy crusts.
Note on cooking for your audience: I like the salted pie. Most members of my family preferred sprinkling with colored crystal sugar rather than salt.

The crust:

• 2 cups pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 8 Tbsp (one stick) cold, hard butter
• 6-10 Tbsp rose water or chilled Sky River Rose Honey Wine
• More flour for rolling out the dough
• 1 egg (for egg wash)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Whisk the flour, white sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. (You can do this step before putting the ingredients in the freezer, if you wish.)
3. Using a pastry cutter or two butter knives, cut the cold butter into the flour until the pieces are very small and crumbly, like lentils.
4. Add ¼ cup rose water to start with. Use the pastry cutter to mix in just enough ice-cold rose water, one additional Tbsp at a time, for the dough to come together into a ball. Knead just a couple of times with your hands to form a smooth ball.
5. Roll out the dough on a generously-floured surface so that the circle is about a quarter-inch thick, and two inches larger in diameter than your pie pan.
6. Press the crust into the pie pan. Crimp or otherwise decorate the edge, using the extra dough scraps. Pierce the bottom of the crust several times with a fork.
7. Make an egg wash by whisking together one egg and a Tbsp of water. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash over the edges of the crust. Place the crust in the refrigerator until ready to fill.

The filling: 

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup honey. Be sure to use liquefied honey (not partially crystallized) for best results.
• 1/4 cup very fine cornmeal or dry polenta
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp mead vinegar (or substitute white distilled vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp rose water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup half n half, or evaporated milk (your choice)
• Pink Himalayan sea salt, coarse, for sprinkling on finished pie

1. In a large mixing bowl with your electric mixer, cream together the butter, honey, cornmeal, and cinnamon. Add the vinegar, rose honey wine, and vanilla.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.
3. On low speed, add the milk.
4. Pour into the raw, scored pie crust. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife inserted at the center comes out clean. Sprinkle generously with coarse pink Himalayan sea salt. Allow to cool before serving.