Salty Pluff Mud Pie

Recipe from Amy Robinette

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Salty Pluff Mud Pie
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
4(380)
Comments
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Community-supported agriculture takes many forms these days, but only in Charleston, S.C., will you find a C.S.A. for pie. Amy Robinette, who grew up in Spartanburg, S.C., is committed to adapting Southern desserts, which have often come to rely on supersweet and artificial ingredients, back to real food.

In her kitchen, the chocolate chess pie her grandmother always made — filled with white sugar, evaporated milk, and cocoa powder — has been adapted to local ingredients. The pie gets its name from “pluff” mud, the sticky, sulfurous sediment that lines the bottom of the South Carolina tidal marshes; some say it is the true source of Lowcountry flavor. (Don't let making your own pie crust intimidate you: our pie guide has everything you need to know.) —Julia Moskin

Featured in: The United States of Thanksgiving

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • 1½cups/354 milliliters honey
  • 4½tablespoons/32 grams dark cocoa powder
  • 6tablespoons/85 grams butter, cubed
  • ¾cup/180 milliliters heavy cream
  • 4eggs
  • 1chilled, unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch pan (see recipe)
  • 2tablespoons/30 milliliters milk
  • Flaky sea salt, for topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

516 calories; 27 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 53 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 360 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine honey, cocoa, butter and cream in a large heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is just starting to simmer.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, lightly beat 3 eggs in a medium bowl. Very slowly add ½ cup of hot honey mixture, whisking constantly. Pour tempered egg mixture back into the pot, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture is smooth and thick, 3 to 4 minutes; remove from heat.

  3. Step 3

    Remove pie crust from refrigerator and flute edges. Whisk together remaining egg and the milk until well combined. Brush egg wash over edge of pie dough, making sure to cover the ins and outs of the fluting.

  4. Step 4

    Pour filling into pie shell and lightly tap pie plate on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake pie for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until filling is no longer soupy when jiggled. Allow pie to cool for at least 3 hours, then sprinkle with sea salt.

Ratings

4 out of 5
380 user ratings
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Comments

Jeff K

I made this once and was very disappointed. It tasted overwhelmingly of honey and not much else. Over Thanksgiving, my brother (a much better baker than I) made it, same result.

David Look

I spoke with Julia, she says yes.

Cheryl

Could I make this ahead and freeze?

Err in Charleston

This is a wonderful pie to serve if you’re hoping for your company to never again accept your dinner invitation.

Emily

As a native of Charleston, this recipe caught my eye with the pluff mud in its name and I made it to take to a Thanksgiving gathering. However, tasted overwhelmingly of honey and nobody liked it. Very disappointing.

Blake B

On my third go at this recipe, I used a Bourbon Honey which was a little less thick than most honey so I upped the chocolate to 40 grams to offset the extra moisture. The bourbon flavor and the extra chocolate balanced out the sweetness very nicely.

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Credits

Adapted from Amy Robinette

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