Lemon Lavender Yogurt Honey Pie for Pies on Parade

I was just doing my thing in the kitchen; following a recipe that was given to me.  One that I was supposed to make.  Couldn’t do it.  Had to change it.  Had. To.  This just proves that I am constitutionally incapable of following a recipe.  I prefer to think of it as a gift.

So now we have two new verbs in this office:  “Mahled” and “swankmeistered,” inspired by my handicap, er,   gift.  E calls me The Swankmeister sometimes.  That’s where that one comes from.

In any event, this is the version I came up with for Pies on Parade, inspired by our Rockland honey and by Lauren Chattman who wrote Icebox Desserts.

Thank you to the nearly 500 people who came into Rheal to sample pie and socialize.  It was a blast!

Rhonda, it was a pleasure to work with you and I can’t believe we’ve already had conversations about next year!

Lemon Lavender Yogurt Honey Pie
This recipe initially called for lavender honey, which seemed a silly extravagance to me when I already have gorgeous honey from my hives here in Rockland.  If you would prefer to use lavender honey, omit the 3 tablespoons of lavender water and substitute regular honey for the lavender honey in a one to one ratio.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Crumb Crust:
11 whole graham crackers (to yield about 1 1/3 cups crumbs)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
zest from 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons lavender water (see below)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon apricot extract
1 cup whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup honey (preferably local Rockland honey 🙂 )
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled

Garnish:
1/2 lemon, quartered lengthwise and sliced very thinly
3 strawberries, hulled and halved and sliced very thinly

Lavender Water:
Cover 3 tablespoons of dried lavender buds with 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes.   Remove from heat and let sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight.  Strain

Crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Process the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Combine the crumbs, melted butter, oats, brown sugar, lemon zest and salt in a medium-size bowl and stir until moistened. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and all the way up the side, packing it tightly with your fingertips so it is even and compacted. Bake until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. (The crust may be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Filling:
Sprinkle the gelatin over the lemon juice and lavender water in a small stainless-steel bowl and let soften for 2 minutes. Whisk together the yogurt and honey in a medium-size bowl.

Bring 2 inches of water in a small saucepan to a bare simmer. Set the bowl containing the gelatin over the pan, making sure it doesn’t touch the water, and heat, whisking constantly, just until it melts, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk into the yogurt mixture until smooth.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese until smooth and then add the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the cream. Scrape into the prepared pie shell, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Garnish:
When ready to serve, cut the pie slices and then garnish with both the lemon and strawberry slices.

Serves 8 to 12