Weekend Cooking
Coconut Custard Pie
- Prep time 1 hour
- Cook time 1 hour
- Serves 8
Author Notes
My mom, Judy, didn’t have her Coconut Custard Pie recipe with her when she visited me recently, so we improvised a version on the fly. I dug out a shortening pie crust recipe she likes from Meta Given’s “Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking” and found a coconut custard filling on Taste of Home that was close to, but not exactly like, her recipe. From there, we winged it, and we may have come up with a new and improved Coconut Custard Pie recipe. You’ll be the judge. —Amanda Hesser
What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Coconut Custard Pie
Ingredients
- For the dough:
-
1 cup
all-purpose flour
-
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
1/3 cup
shortening
-
3 tablespoons
ice water
- For the custard filling:
-
1 cup
unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for sprinkling on top
-
3
large eggs
-
2 1/2 cups
whole milk
-
2/3 cup
granulated sugar
-
3 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
-
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1/2 heaping teaspoons
kosher salt
-
1/4 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
Directions
- Assemble the pie crust: Mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the shortening and using your fingers, pinch the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles small rice grains and lentils. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, using a fork to lightly toss the mixture around the bowl to distribute the water evenly—the flour mixture should begin to adhere in clumps. Add only enough water to make it possible to press the mixture gently into a ball. Flatten into a 1-inch disc, wrap in plastic or wax paper and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 450°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a ⅛-inch-thick circle; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and flute the edge. Prick the base and sides of the crust with a fork and line with parchment paper. Pour in pie weights and spread evenly so they hold up the sides of the pie crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights; bake for another 5 minutes, or until the crust is dry on the bottom. Remove the crust from the oven and let cool while you make the custard filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Fill and finish the pie: Sprinkle the coconut over the crust. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy and light, then whisk in the milk. In a small bowl, use a fork to blend the sugar and flour. Whisk the sugar-flour mixture into the egg mixture until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Very slowly pour the custard mixture over the coconut in the pie crust. Dust the top of the custard with extra coconut and the nutmeg.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake, uncovered, until the center is wobbly but not loose, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm.
Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.
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