Lattice Coconut-Custard Pie
Submitted by cellina
Coconut custard pie baked in a water bath and slipped into a pre-baked shell, topped with a drizzled chocolate lattice. A silky, nutmeg-scented classic.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
35 minREADY
This coconut custard pie uses a clever technique: the custard bakes separately in a water bath, then gets slipped into a pre-baked shell after cooling. This solves the age-old problem of soggy-bottomed custard pies where the filling soaks into the crust.
The water bath is what gives the custard its silky, spoonable texture. The surrounding hot water insulates the pie plate from direct oven heat, so the eggs set gently instead of curdling into a rubbery puck. When a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, it’s done.
The chocolate lattice on top is simple but striking. Melted semisweet chocolate thinned with a bit of shortening gets drizzled across the surface in a crisscross pattern using a skewer. It sets quickly and adds a thin layer of bittersweet contrast to the sweet coconut custard.
Pro Tips
- Grease the pie plate well before adding the custard. The custard needs to release cleanly when you slide it into the shell.
- Shake the custard out gently. Rush this step and the custard cracks or lands off-center in the shell.
- Let the chocolate cool slightly after melting so it drizzles in thin, controlled lines instead of pooling.
- Serve the same day. The crust softens overnight even with the separate-bake method.
Variations
- Toast the shredded coconut before folding into the custard for a nuttier, deeper flavor.
- Use coconut milk in place of regular milk for a more intensely tropical custard.
- Skip the chocolate lattice and top with lightly sweetened whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes.
Ingredients
Directions
Several hours ahead: Start heating oven to 350℉ (180℃).
To eggs, add sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk; beat well.
Add coconut.
Pour into greased 9 inch pie plate that has been set in shallow baking pan; sprinkle with nutmeg.
Set in oven; into baking pan, pour enough hot water to come three fourths way up side of pie plate.
Bake 35 min., or until silver knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool at room temperature.
When shell and custard are cool, melt chocolate with shortening over hot, not boiling, water.
Meanwhile, slip custard into shell this way: Tilt custard-filled pie plate a bit.
With small spatula, gently pull custard away from all sides of plate.
To complete loosening, hold plate level with both hands; shake gently.
Now hold custard, tilted, over shell, with far edge of custard just above and close to far edge of shell; shake gently.
As custard slips out, pull plate back toward you until custard is in shell.
To make chocolate top, dip metal or wooden skewer into melted-chocolate mixture and draw it across top of pie in crisscross manner, dipping skewer into chocolate as needed.
Let settle a few minutes; then serve at once.
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