Coconut Pie


coconut pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut
coconut pie photo by carmen troesser

“This is my grandmother’s recipe and a family favorite. The base is an old-fashioned buttermilk pie recipe with coconut added, giving it a perfect sweetness to complement the tang of the buttermilk.” – Candice Poss


Ingredients

For the pie filling
3 cups coconut flakes, divided
3 eggs
1½ cups plus 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1 9-inch pie crust (recipe follows)
1 cup heavy cream

For the pie crust
1¼ cups flour
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 to 6 Tbsp. ice water



Preparation

For the pie filling
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 

• Spread ½ cup coconut flakes evenly on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes. Stir to ensure even toasting, then bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1½ cups sugar. Add the buttermilk, flour, butter, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Stir in the remaining 2½ cups coconut flakes.

• Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake until golden brown and the center is set, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely. 

• Meanwhile, make the whipped cream topping. In a cold bowl, combine the cream, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat with an electric mixer until medium-to-stiff peaks form, being careful to not overbeat. Refrigerate while waiting for the pie to cool.

• Top the room-temperature pie with the whipped cream and sprinkle with the reserved ½ cup toasted coconut.  

For the pie crust
• In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter and salt until a coarse meal or small pea-sized balls form. 

• Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the dough just comes together, being careful not to overwork. 

• Roll the dough into a ball, pat it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours. 

• Working quickly so the dough doesn’t get too warm, roll it out into a 13-inch diameter circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate and gently press it into the bottom and sides. Trim so it’s even and flute the edges by pressing the dough between your thumb and index finger. Prick the bottom of the pie crust evenly with a fork, 4 or 5 times. Refrigerate 20 minutes before filling.



Tags : Coconut , Buttermilk , Pie , Cajun