Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Pie with Home-style Honey Crust

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Pie with Home-style Honey Crust

YIELD: Makes one 9-inch pie

INGREDIENTS

For Crust:

8 T - unsalted butter

2 1/4 cup - whole wheat flour

1/2 cup - light brown sugar

1/4 tsp. - kosher salt

1 tsp. - baking soda

1/2 tsp. - cinnamon

1/4 cup - honey

1/4 cup - water

1 tsp. - vanilla extract

For Filling:

1 1/2 sheets - bronze gelatin

8 oz. - cream cheese

1 cup - sour cream

1/3 cup - honey

1 - vanilla bean, (cut lengthwise and scrape seeds out)

1 cup - heavy cream

Pinch - kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

For Home-style Honey Crust:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Melt the butter on the stove top in a small saucepan.

Mix the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the honey, water and vanilla, and mix using the paddle attachment. Mix on low until dough forms (more water may be needed to form dough–add 1/2 tsp. at a time until dough comes together). Remove dough from mixer. Using your fingers, gently press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie or tart pan.

Bake for 15 minutes for a pie pan or 7 minutes for a tart. Cool completely. While the crust is cooling, prepare your cheesecake filling.

For Cheesecake Filling:

Submerge gelatin sheets in a bowl of ice water and allow the sheets to soften or "bloom" (approximately 5 minutes).

Place cream cheese in a metal bowl above boiling water and let it melt, stirring occasionally.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, honey, vanilla bean seeds, heavy cream and salt. Whip using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.

Remove the cream cheese from heat. Squeeze excess water from softened gelatin sheets and whisk gelatin into cream cheese. Add approximately 1/2 cup of the whipped sour cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture and whisk until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining sour cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture.

To assemble:

Scoop the filling into prepared pie pan. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 to 3 hours before adding any desired topping. Cheesecake can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.

Optional: For presentation and to contrast the cheesecake flavors, drizzle a darker honey such as buckwheat on top.

To view this recipe demonstration by Chef Guas, click here.

Recipe courtesy of Chef David Guas, Owner of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in Arlington, VA.