Coconut-Lime Pie
Submitted by Becca_1
A chilled coconut-lime cream pie in a coconut-graham cracker crust with a silky custard filling, fresh lime juice, and piped whipped cream topping. Tropical, tangy, and make-ahead friendly for up to 3 days.
YIELD
1 piePREP
15 minCOOK
40 minREADY
3 daysWhere key lime pie meets coconut cream pie, this is what you get. And neither one is mad about it.
The filling is a proper cooked custard with cream of coconut, egg yolks, and a generous hit of fresh lime juice and zest. Gelatin gives it structure so it slices cleanly, while folded-in whipped cream keeps everything mousse-light and airy. It all sits in a coconut-graham cracker crust that ties the whole tropical package together.
Piped whipped cream on top with a scattering of toasted coconut makes this look like it came from a bakery case. But the best part? You can make it up to three days ahead and it only gets better in the fridge.
Chef Tips
- Cool the custard over an ice bath, stirring constantly, until it falls in soft mounds from a spoon. If it’s too warm when you fold in the whipped cream, you’ll deflate all the air.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve. This catches any bits of cooked egg and gives you a flawlessly smooth filling.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the filling surface before chilling. This prevents a skin from forming on top.
- Toast the coconut garnish in a dry skillet over medium heat, watching it like a hawk. It goes from golden to burnt in seconds.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare piecrust. Cool completely.
Filling: Sprinkle water over gelatin in a cup. Let stand at least 2 minutes to soften.
Whisk cornstarch and ¼ cup of the milk in a 1-quart bowl.
Whisk in egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of the lime peel and the salt.
Whisk in remaining 1¼ cups milk and the cream of coconut until blended.
Microwave on high 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Microwave 3½ to 3½ minutes longer, whisking every 2 minutes, until boiling, thickened and smooth.
Immediately stir in softened gelatin and continue stirring until gelatin dissolves.
Stir mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size Stir in remaining ½ teaspoon lime peel and the lime juice. Set bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with ice water. Stir mixture and scrape down sides of bowl often, 5 to 10 minutes, until cool and thick enough to fall in soft mounds. Stir in vanilla. Remove bowl from ice-water bath. Beat cream with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently stir into filling just until blended. Spread filling in piecrust. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap (to keep a skin from forming) and refrigerate at least 2 hours until set or up to 3 days. Coconut Cream: Up to 1 hour before serving, beat heavy until stiff peaks form. Pipe a lattice design on filling, then a border around edge of pie (using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip) or spread cream on filling. Sprinkle with coconut, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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