Coconut piecrust

Pie is an important feature for celebrations around here. Key lime and passion fruit are two favorites. This coconut piecrust is a great taste complement for tropical flavors.

We have five birthdays in our family in a 6-week period, so pies are on my mind right now. I’ve developed a coconut piecrust recipe that I hope you will enjoy.

You will need an 8- or 9-inch pie pan, a container for melting butter, and a food processor. No food processor? You can use a heavy-duty food storage bag and a rolling pin or mallet.

• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (found in the baking aisle)
• 1 box coconut cookies (5 oz., or about 40 small cookies). I have used Salem Baking Toasted Coconut Moravian Cookies and Coconut Hula Creems. This will also work with coconut sandwich creme cookies, but will be much sweeter.
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center. Melt butter in the microwave. I use a glass-measuring cup for this. Watch closely, just do this long enough for the butter to just melt. Measure ½ cup of coconut flakes and put in a 1 cup dry measuring cup. Place 9-12 cookies in the food processor and pulse into small crumbs. Add crushed cookies to the 1-cup measure until full. Continue processing cookies until you have 1 ½ cups of cookie crumb/coconut mixture. Pour into pie pan.

Pour melted butter over the crumbs. With your fingers or a rubber spatula begin pressing from the center to push crumbs in an even layer over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes to set.

I use this crust with key lime, passion fruit, or coconut (haupia) filling.  I think it would taste great with chocolate also. This crust has possible variations. It’s possible to set the crust by chilling in the refrigerator. You can substitute or add almond cookies to the mixture. You can use melted coconut oil instead of butter (extra virgin for more coconut flavor or naturally refined).

Let’s talk story

I was hunting around the Internet for cookie piecrust recipes. So many are out there with graham crackers and sugar. I kept thinking, why? The cookies are already sweet! I decided to go old school and got out my 1973 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

I was delighted to see several pages of piecrusts! I tried the recipe that was just coconut flakes, butter, and sugar. It was good, but too chewy for our taste. So I combined two ideas from the old cookbook.

These vintage piecrust recipes work well, and it reminds me that old cookbooks are worth using for reference. While we often need to adapt recipes for modern healthy living, it’s pie after all!

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What’s your favorite pie crust?