Coconut cream pie

25 MINUTES + COOLING + BLIND

BAKING | SERVES 8 | EASY unsweetened shredded coconut 45g

coconut water 60ml

caster sugar 135g

cornflour 2 tbsp

salt [ZW egg egg yolks double cream 165ml

whole milk 165ml

vanilla extract Ω tsp

coconut flakes 20g, toasted, to serve WHIPPED VANILLA CREAM

double cream 360ml

vanilla extract Ω tsp

icing sugar 40g

• Follow the basic butter pastry dough recipe (left) but add 40g unsweetened shredded coconut and 25g caster sugar, tossing to disperse through the dough before squeezing the dough with your fists. This dough is very likely to break when transferring it into the tin, so use a silicone mat or similar to help you transfer it. Use your fingers to gently press the dough back together if it breaks as you do so.

• Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. To blind-bake, line the pie shell with a circle of baking paper. Add dry beans, uncooked rice or pie weights to reach about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the crust.

• Bake the shell for 20 minutes, then remove the pie weights and baking paper. Put the shell back in the oven for 15 minutes more to fully bake the bottom of the crust.

• In a small container with a watertight lid, combine the shredded coconut and coconut water. Tighten the lid and shake the container to help to moisten the shredded coconut.

• In a medium pan, whisk together the sugar, cornflour and salt. Whisk in the egg and egg yolks to form a paste. Gradually whisk in the cream, then the milk. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, whisking constantly, until you feel the pudding start to thicken on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and trade your whisk for a rubber spatula. Continue stirring with the spatula, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the pudding has bubbled for 2 minutes and has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and moistened coconut until the coconut water is incorporated into the pudding.

• Pour the hot filling into the blind-baked crust, making sure to scrape the entire contents from the sides of the pan into the pie. Use the spatula to ease the pudding up the sides of the shell, leaving about 12mm of the crust exposed on the outer edge – this helps the crust stay intact when slicing.

• Chill the pie for 1 hour or until the surface of the pudding is cool to the touch.

• Whip the vanilla cream ingredients with a pinch of salt until it holds its shape, then transfer to a piping bag with a round tip and pipe dollops onto the pudding, starting at the outer edge and working your way to the centre. Sprinkle with the coconut flakes.

• Chill for 3 hours before serving. The pie is best eaten the same day but it will keep for up to three days, covered, in the fridge.

PER SERVING 693 KCALS | FAT 55.3G

SATURATES 34.7G | CARBS 41.9G | SUGARS 26.1G

FIBRE 1.8G | PROTEIN 5.9G | SALT 0.5G