Lime Coconut Pie

We are still enjoying the Florida warmth down here in Fort Lauderdale.  Since we arrived there has been rain only one day and there might have been one cloudy day at most.  It has been sunny days after sunny days, I’m not complaining.

We had a dinner party last night with a few of our Canadian friends so needed bread and a dessert.  I’ll post the bread I made in a separate blog post.  One of our favourite desserts to have here is Key Lime Pie.  Years ago when we were in Key West we went to the bakery that supposedly had the best Key Lime Pie in Florida, the Blonde Giraffe.  This was long before I started to bake.  So I decided to bake something I think turned out as well if not better, a lime coconut pie with a Graham cracker crust.

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I prefer this version with its subtle coconut flavour.  If you love coconut, I would change the whipped cream on top to whipped coconut cream.  The finish of the lime zest really gives it the lovely lime scent when you serve the pie and it looks nice as well.

The Graham cracker crust is from Sally’s baking website.  I’ve made a note that I find graham cracker crusts to be a bit too sweet so I’d try reducing the sugar in the future.  I’m not sure if I can eliminate it completely as I believe she says that it is needed to help bind the crumbs together.  I would think that the melted butter does most of that though.

Ingredients - 1 graham cracker crust

• 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar (try reducing as this is quite sweet, not sure if can eliminate completely so try using only 20-25g)
• 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a little arm muscle and a rolling pin.
2. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks.
3. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch pie dish, cake pan, springform pan, or square pan. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Tip:You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. If making a pie, run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust⁠—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart when you cut slices.
4. For a baked dessert, pre-bake this crust per your filling recipe’s directions. I usually pre-bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C). For a no-bake dessert, cool the crust completely before using, unless your filling’s recipe instructs otherwise.

Lime coconut filling 

Ingredients:

• 250 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons icing sugar (sub 2 tbsp sugar)
• 5-ounces (1 can) unsweetened coconut milk
• 14-ounces (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed or bottled Key lime juice
• Zest of 1 lime, finely grated

To garnish:

• Whipped cream (optional)
• Toasted coconut (optional)
• lime slices (optional)

Instructions:

• In a bowl, using an electric mixer beat heavy cream and sugar until creamy. Add the coconut milk, condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest and whisk until fluffy and thick. Pour into crust and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
• Before serving, top pie with whipped cream, sprinkle some toasted coconut and/or lime slices (if desired). Slice and serve.

My index of bakes.