Best Coconut Pie Crust and Meringue Topping... Recipe
So many pies would taste better with a coconut pie crust instead of a graham crust...including a coconut pie - how could more coconut flavor be wrong? Or how about lemon pie, chocolate pie, frozen strawberry pie, banana-cream pie, or my personal favorite, key lime pie? A coconut crust dresses it up, gives it an extra bit of sweetness and will always be met with a happy, surprised smile followed quickly by an "mmm-mmmmm."
Click on Key Lime Pie to see the best recipe in the world...no lie, it's a tried and true crowd pleaser. The crust I have always used to make that pie was is a coconut-graham crust. But I'm not in love with the graham cracker taste...so after many attempts I finally came up with the perfect coconut crust...instead of graham crackers I used ground almonds...basically it's a recipe for an altered Almond Joy...and it's dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good! 5 dangs on the ol' meter...easy to make, crunchy and chewy to eat...you may want to just skip the filling of the crust because it's a dessert all by itself! Fill it with whatever filling you like - it will only make your pie taste better - I promise.
- Best Coconut Pie Crust - Pots and Pins
- 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup ground almonds (1 cup of whole almonds yields about 3/4 cup ground)
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup melted butter, plus more for greasing pie pan
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, process almonds until very small pieces are left, but is mostly flour-like. Add in coconut, salt and melted butter. Pulse a few times until mixture comes together in large pieces. Remove from processor and pour contents into a greased pie pan. Using buttered hands, or the back of a buttered spoon, press crust mixture onto bottom of pan and up the sides. Bake in 325 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until crust is a golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling with your favorite pie filling.
Let's talk about meringues, shall we? I've learned the hard way - going through dozens and dozens of eggs before I discovered the secret to making a great meringue topping...if ONLY someone would have told me sooner - just think of all the eggs/chickens I could have saved! Oh well, what's done is done, no use clucking over it now! Below are my tips for making a perfect meringue - no weeping, no water drops, no separating, no runs, no drips no errors!
How to Make the Best Meringue Topping:
There are a lot of sites that will tell you how to make a perfect meringue, but only one that truly explains every little detail, click on Perfect Meringues for expert help.
Meanwhile, here's my quick run-down for making meringues:
1. Start with cold eggs, straight from the refrigerator, they will separate easier.
2. If you happen to get any of the yolk into the whites you'll be doomed for failure - the yolk will prevent the whites from being whipped to new heights...so toss and start again.
3. Wait 30 minutes before whipping the egg whites it's long enough for those egg whites to come to room temperature, this way they will whip up lighter and higher
4. Use a stainless steel, copper or a glass bowl - never use a plastic bowl which can hold oily residue. Make sure your bowl and beaters are clean and DRY - meringues hate moisture!
5. Begin by putting the egg whites in the bowl of your electric mixer, and beat on high. Do NOT add anything at the beginning, no sugar, no cream of tartar, no vanilla...yes, vanilla - it's heavenly in meringues! If you add these ingredients at the beginning it will just take longer to whip.
6. When the meringues are whipped to soft peaks, add in 2 tablespoons of sugar PER EGG...so if you're using 8 egg whites (my recommendation for a perfect meringue) then you would add 1cup of sugar (there are 4 tablespoons per 1/4 cup). I prefer to use superfine sugar as it dissolves faster. Do not use powdered sugar if you will be using cream of tartar.
7. After adding the sugar, beat in 1 teaspoon (if using 8 egg whites) of cream of tartar, which is a binding agent. (Use 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg white). Then beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.
8. Add meringue to the top of a warm/hot pie - it will prevent weeping and shrinkage, and bake immediately.
9. Bake meringue at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Over-baking will make the meringue chewy and will cause it to weep so check it at 15 minutes, you want the top to be slightly browned.
10. Meringue only lasts about two days and then starts to break down...but we've never had that problem as it always gets eaten!