Greek Honey Pie

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a cute one from Rosemary Zwick

"I had the strangest dream last night," a man was telling his
psychiatrist. "I saw my mother, but when she turned around
to look at me, I noticed that she had your face. As you can
imagine, I found this very disturbing. In fact I woke up immediately,
and couldn't get back to sleep. I just lay there in bed waiting
for morning to come, and then I got up, drank a Coke, and
came right over here for my appointment. I thought you could
help me explain the meaning of this strange dream."

The psychiatrist was silent for a full minute before responding,
"A Coke? That's a breakfast?"

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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You will recognize this as a type of cheesecake, but with the
unique and unmistakable flavor of honey. Use the best honey you can find.

Greek Honey Pie (Melopita)

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) butter
1 egg, separated
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
2 Tbs (30 ml) cold water

For the filling:
1 lb (450 g) mizithra or ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (125 ml) honey
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
A pinch of salt
3 eggs
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon plus additional for garnish

To prepare the crust, sift together the flour, salt, and sugar
into a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender
of pair of knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Beat the egg yolk, lemon juice, and cold water together in
a small bowl and blend into the flour mixture just enough to
form a dough that clings together. Knead the dough gently
until smooth and let rest for 30 minutes. Roll the dough out
on a lightly floured surface to form a round about 12 inches
(30 cm) in diameter. Line a greased 10-inch (25 cm) springform
pan or pie plate with the dough. Beat the egg white and brush
some of it over the dough. Combine all the ingredients for the
filling in a bowl and beat until thoroughly combined. Pour into
the pie shell and bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven for
15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F (180C) and bake an
additional 30 minutes, or until the filling is set. Turn the oven
off and let the pie cool in the oven with the door open slightly -
do not remove the pie until it is cool. Dust lightly with cinnamon
and serve in wedges or the traditional diamond-shaped pieces.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Thu Dec 30 09:47:06 2010