Blind-bake the crust. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line your 9-inch pie shell with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights, and bake 8–10 minutes more until lightly golden. Cool while you make the filling. Reduce oven to 325°F (163°C).

Warm the dairy. In a saucepan, combine milk and cream. Heat over medium until steaming but not boiling.

Infuse with lavender. Stir in the lavender buds. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep 10–15 minutes. Taste at 10 minutes; it should be fragrant, not perfumy. Strain out the buds and return the infused dairy to the pan.

Add honey and sugar. Whisk in honey, granulated sugar, and salt. Warm gently, stirring, just until fully dissolved, then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and lemon zest if using. Whisk in the butter until melted and glossy.

Whisk the eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and yolks until smooth and slightly thickened.

Temper the eggs. Slowly pour a ladle of the warm dairy into the eggs while whisking constantly. Repeat with another ladle. Then whisk the tempered eggs back into the saucepan. This prevents curdling.

Strain for silkiness. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout. This step removes any stray bits for an ultra-smooth texture.

Fill the crust. Place the cooled crust on a baking sheet. Pour in the custard. If bubbles form, lightly tap the pan or skim with a spoon.

Bake low and slow. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 30–40 minutes. The edges should be set and the center should still jiggle like gelatin. Don’t overbake.

Cool completely. Let the pie cool on a rack to room temperature, about 1–2 hours, then chill at least 2 hours to set.

Serve. Slice with a warm, dry knife for clean cuts. Top with softly whipped cream and a light drizzle of honey. A tiny pinch of crushed lavender on each slice looks pretty—use sparingly.