This sweet and sticky pie came about because I was forever wondering what a pale, alternative version of a pecan pie would look like. I also have an addiction to honey roasted cashews. Once that bag is open, there’s no stopping me. On a recent bag-tearing, lip-smacking frenzy, I thought about putting cashews in a pie. Not those particular ones of course; they were eaten before I could scribble down the outline of a recipe. But the idea quickly became a very delicious reality. Trust me when I say, this really, really works. Think of it as pecan pie’s fun-loving blonde sister.

You will need a 23cm/9″ fluted tart tin. A loose-bottomed one is best.

For the pie crust: You will need approximately 340g of shortcrust pastry, either shop bought or you can easily make your own, see my step-by-step guide to shortcrust here. Line the tin and keep chilled in the fridge until you are ready to pour in the filling.

For the filling:
125g white sugar
200ml runny honey
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 large eggs
75g butter, cubed
75ml double cream, plus extra to serve
200g honey roasted cashews, halved

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. First, you’ll need to halve the cashews. This is a bit fiddly (watch your fingers!) and if you really can’t face it, you could try roughly chopping them instead. Set aside.

Place the sugar, honey and salt into a deep saucepan. Heat slowly and gently until it bubbles furiously (avoid stirring too much) then remove from the heat and set aside to cool a bit – about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, lightly beat the eggs in a separate large bowl, then very slowly pour in the honey mix in a thin stream while continuing to whisk. If you add it all at once, you’re likely to scramble the eggs and no one wants that. Now add the cubed butter and stir it all together until the butter completely melts. This will probably take a few minutes.

Pour in the cream and mix well, then add the prepared cashews. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Pour the mixture evenly into your prepared pie/tart tin. Place carefully (watch the loose bottom!) into the centre of your preheated oven for 30-35minutes, until the centre looks ‘set’ – a bit crackly. The underneath will look wobbly – that’s fine, it firms up as it cools. Allow to cool completely then keep covered in the fridge. Serve chilled, preferably with plenty of cream poured over the top.