Coconut Pie with a Cornflour Shortbread Crust

Yield

8

Author

The Appalachian Tale Jimmy Proffitt

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

45 Min

Inactive time

30 Min

Total time

1 H & 30 M

Print

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Coconut Pie with a Shortbread Crust

I taught a baking class at work and we made The Old Mill's Cornflour Sugar Cookies, which are a version of a shortbread cookie with cornflour and lemon zest in them. I had a batch of the dough left over that I brought home. I wanted to make something else besides cookies with it, so I used it as a crust for a pie. I thought the lemon zest in the cookies would go well with coconut. You can certainly make the cookie dough without lemon zest if you would like and they would be just as delicious. I love the little bits of grit from the cornflour too.

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 tablespoons butter - browned
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

For The Old Mill's Cornflour Sugar Cookie Crust

• 2/3 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoons lemon zest - optional
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter

For My Shortbread Crust

• 1 1/4 cups of plain flour
• 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• splash of vanilla extract, up to 1/2 a teaspoon

Instructions

1. Make the crust by sifting together in a large bowl; the plain flour, cornflour, confectioners sugar, and salt. Add in the zest and stir to distribute it throughout the flour mixture.
2. Cut the softened butter into cubes and add to the flour mixture. With the back of a mixing spoon, begin working the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand. Then with your hand, begin squeezing the mixture together. Work it until it forms a dough ball and has cleaned the bowl of all bits and crumbs.
3. Gently press the dough into a pie plate, and make it as even as possible across the bottom and up the sides. Chill the crust for 30 minutes.
4. When the crust has chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and begin making your pie filling.
5. In a batter or mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, eggs, and flour. Brown the butter in a microwave-safe 1-cup or larger measuring cup. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until the butter has browned. It will melt, then boil and foam up, but then the foam will disappear and the butter will begin turning an amber color and will have a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn it. Carefully add this to the filling mixture. It will bubble for just a couple of seconds. Whisk it as you add it. The butter may solidify a bit as it hits the cold filling mixture.
6. Pour the filling into the chilled pie crust to within a half-inch of the top of the crust. If you have any remaining filling, you can pour it into a small oven-safe bowl or ramekin and bake it along with the pie. You may need to remove it before the pie is done, as it will likely cook quicker.
7. Put the pie in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Check the pie halfway through to see if the crust is beginning to brown. You may need to cover the crust to prevent burning around the edges. I use an aluminum pie plate turned upside down to shield the crust. The pie will be done when it has just a slight giggle left to the filling.
8. Let the pie cool completely before serving. I prefer it cold, so I wrap it once it has cooled and put it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. You can top it with fresh whipped cream. I had a cookie left from the class as well, so I crumbled it over the whipped cream and served it. Toasted coconut would be very good to garnish with as well.

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