CONNECTICUT you did not disappoint. The Navy brought us to Connecticut twice throughout my husband's Naval career. As a submariner, he found himself in Groton, Connecticut repeatedly for training. A place sometimes referred to as "Rotten Groton," by military families. The first time we were there for only 3 months. We were so young, our daughter, Emma, was a year and a half and I was expecting our second baby. Since my husband was just going to a short school the Navy put us up in a hotel, The Susse Chalet. Don't let the name fool you, there was nothing fancy about it. A mediocre hotel, a teething toddler, and my unrelenting morning sickness made for an interesting time. Imagine trying to put a toddler to sleep in a tiny hotel room for months without letting her cry and wake up the other hotel guests. My husband would actually drive her around in the car some evenings to soothe her to sleep only to be startled awake by the ding of the hotel elevator. Oh the sacrifices a military family makes. Although those 12 weeks were stressful, we cherished being together as a family, we knew after this time was up my husband would be reporting to his first submarine and deployments would begin. I connected with other military spouses, some became life long friends, took cake decorating classes, and enjoyed my first Spring in the New England. Several years later we would return to "The Constitution State.' this time for a whopping six months. Our toddler was a first grader now and our baby boy was already in preschool. We enjoyed a Summer at the beach, trips to the aquarium, ice cream in Mystic, and a colorful Fall discovering local farms, picking apples, and baking pies.
I started this pie journey to challenge my pie skills and discover new recipes. I was so excited to make Connecticut's pie, my first Honey Pie. A combination similar to a pecan pie. Local honey is blended with eggs, butter, and pecans. The texture is smooth and creamy, much like a Pumpkin Pie. The custard filling with it’s beautiful amber color and caramelized, crusted pecan top was delightful. The honey flavor shines through, I added homemade whipped cream with a sprinkle of nutmeg for the final touch. The Honey Pie smells like Autumn and its the perfect recipe for the upcoming season. Although moments in Connecticut sometimes felt rotten, looking back on that time it really was a more simpler piece of our history, full of so much sweetness.
Thanks for following my pie journey as a I make '50 Pies for 50 States.'
Originally written September 2, 2019
Originally written September 2, 2019