Fall

French Silk Pie with Coconut Crust

December 31, 2009
5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 1 9" pie
Author Notes

I love making this pie for big celebrations. I find that it is a great chocolate dessert that isn't too heavy. As the name suggests, it has a wonderfully silky texture that is lightened with the whipped cream topping. Sometimes I scatter silver sprinkles on top to make it really festive for a New Year's celebration. —Kelsey Banfield

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Ingredients
  • For the Crust
  • 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • For the Pie
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
  • 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 300. Melt and cool 4 T. of butter. Then mix it with the coconut and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie plate. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the coconut is lightly toasted. Remove and cool.
  2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar. Then add the cooled chocolate and vanilla extract. Mix everything until well combined and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. Next, add 2 of the eggs and mix on high speed for 5 minutes (not a second less!) Then, scrape down the sides, add the remaining 2 eggs and beat on high speed for another 5 minutes! (again, not a second less!). The mixture will be airy and mousse-like.
  4. Pour chocolate into cooled crust and spread it evenly with a spatula. Then put it in the fridge to cool for at least 6 hours. *The pie can be left in the fridge overnight or longer at this point.*
  5. After 6 hours, combine the whipping cream and powdered sugar in a bowl and beat or hand whisk to make a light whipped cream. Spread evenly over top of pie and serve.

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Home cook, food blogger, cookbook author, wine lover, avid traveler, and mother of two young children. Check out my books: The Naptime Chef: Fitting Great Food into Family Life (2012), and The Family Calendar Cookbook: From Birthdays to Bake Sales, Good Food to Carry You Through the Year (2015), Running Press.

2 Reviews

Ascender October 17, 2023
My mother used to make this pie! I think she got it from a Baker's Coconut recipe book. I always loved it, but it is very rich. It is best served in slivers, not big wedges.
Ascender December 12, 2022
My mother used to make this pie. It is decadent and delicious -- an 8' pie will serve a crowd. A sliver is enough.