Coconut Key Lime Pie

I never thought of myself as a big citrus fan.  I enjoy a grapefruit every now and then and like some lemon slices in my water or diet soda.  Our supper club’s February theme was citrus and I picked dessert.  I was looking for a recipe that I normally wouldn’t make.  Pies?  Rarely if ever, do I make them so I went with it.  Lemon meringue was definitely out.  I highly dislike it!  I found this recipe which is a variation on the traditional key lime pie and decided to attempt to make it.  I’m not a big key lime pie lover either, but this sounded a bit more appealing.  Well, after making this, I may be a convert!  This pie was REALLY good!  I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find key limes and was pleasantly surprised to find a bag at my local Shoprite!  I’m not much of a baker.  While this recipe had multiple steps and required some chilling time, overall it was really easy to make.  The most time consuming task was squeezing the juice out of the tiny key limes!  Did I mention that this pie was really tasty?!!!  We all enjoyed it a lot.  I liked how the coconut flavor was subtle, but evident.  The key limes gave a slight tang to the creamy filling.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get a pic of the pie sliced.  However, I will have to rectify that.  Since this is a perfect summer dessert, I plan on making it again soon!

Coconut Key Lime Pie
Recipe from blog A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon butter, melted
1 (15-ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated key lime zest (from about 4 key limes)
1/3 cup fresh key lime juice (from about 6 key limes)
5 large egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1.  For the crust:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and butter. Pour the mixture into a standard 9-inch pie dish, making sure to press the crumbs up the sides and all over the bottom of the dish until you have a nice, even layer of crust.  Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Remove and set aside, letting the crust cool completely. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.

2. For the filling:  In a small bowl, set aside three tablespoons of the coconut cream that’s sitting at the top of the can of coconut milk. Place the bowl of coconut cream in the refrigerator to be used later as part of the topping. Stir the remaining coconut cream and coconut milk together, making sure to break up any large clumps. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, key lime zest, key lime juice, egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and salt.

3. Place the cooled pie dish on a baking sheet and transfer to the middle rack of the oven. Pour in the filling and allow to bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is firm to the touch yet still a wobbly. Once done, remove from the oven and let cool for approximately 10 minutes. Transfer the pie to the fridge letting it set for at least 2 hours. While the oven is still on, place the coconut flakes on a baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes in the oven, until lightly golden brown. Set aside and turn oven off.

4. For the topping:   Right before serving add the reserved, refrigerated coconut cream and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the whisk attachment; beating approximately 2 minutes until smooth. With the mixer running, pour in about 2 tablespoons of heavy cream beating until incorporated. Slowly pour in the rest of the heavy cream until smooth and medium peaks form, about 2 minutes.

5. Spread the whipped cream on top of the pie, sprinkle the toasted coconut flakes on top, slice and serve.