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Coconut custard pie with a golden pastry crust and one creamy coconut-filled slice removed

Coconut Custard Pie with a Tender Pastry Crust

A classic coconut custard pie with sweet coconut suspended in a creamy vanilla custard and a crisp, fully blind-baked butter pastry shell.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cooling 5 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 455

Ingredients
  

  • 190 g all-purpose flour For the pastry crust, plus a small amount for rolling
  • 12 g granulated sugar For the pastry crust
  • 3 g fine sea salt For the pastry crust
  • 115 g unsalted butter Cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 45 g ice water Add gradually; all of it may not be needed
  • 1 large egg white Whisked until fluid, for sealing the crust
  • 150 g granulated sugar For the custard filling
  • 16 g cornstarch Whisk into the sugar before adding the eggs
  • 2 g fine sea salt For the custard filling
  • 4 large eggs At room temperature
  • 360 g whole milk Gently heated with the cream
  • 120 g heavy cream At least 35 percent milk fat
  • 10 g pure vanilla extract About 2 teaspoons
  • 2 g coconut extract About 1/2 teaspoon
  • 100 g sweetened shredded coconut Loosen compacted shreds before using

Equipment

  • Digital kitchen scale
  • 9-inch metal pie plate, approximately 1 1/2 inches deep
  • Large rimmed baking sheet
  • Food processor or large mixing bowl with pastry blender
  • Rolling pin
  • Parchment paper
  • Pie weights or dry beans
  • Medium saucepan
  • Large heatproof mixing bowl
  • Whisk and silicone spatula
  • Pastry brush
  • Fine-mesh sieve
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Instant-read thermometer, optional

Method
 

  1. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly. Add the cold butter and pulse until most pieces resemble small peas, with a few flatter pieces remaining. Drizzle in 35 g of the ice water and pulse just until damp clumps form, adding the remaining water only if the dough stays powdery when squeezed. Turn it onto the counter, press it into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 60 minutes.
  2. Lightly flour the counter and roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick, rotating it frequently to prevent sticking. Transfer it to a 9-inch metal pie plate without stretching the dough. Ease it firmly into the bottom corners, trim the overhang to 1 inch, fold it under, and crimp the rim. Refrigerate the lined plate for 30 minutes, until the butter is firm and the pastry no longer feels soft.
  3. Set an oven rack in the lower third, place a rimmed baking sheet on it, and heat the oven to 400°F. Line the chilled shell with crumpled parchment and fill it to the rim with pie weights. Set the plate on the hot sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Lift out the parchment and weights, then bake for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the bottom looks dry and pale golden rather than raw or translucent.
  4. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin, even coating of whisked egg white over the hot crust's bottom and inner sides, avoiding puddles. Return the shell to the oven for 2 minutes, until the coating looks dry and slightly glossy. Remove the pie plate to a heatproof surface and reduce the oven to 350°F, leaving the baking sheet inside so it stays hot enough to encourage continued browning underneath.
  5. Heat the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming and tiny bubbles appear around the edge, about 4 to 6 minutes; do not boil. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt thoroughly, then whisk in the four eggs without incorporating excess foam. Slowly add the hot dairy while whisking constantly. Stir in both extracts, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, and fold in the loosened shredded coconut.
  6. Pour the warm filling into the warm pastry shell and distribute the coconut evenly with a fork if it gathers in one area. Carefully return the pie to the hot sheet pan in the 350°F oven. Bake for 38 to 44 minutes, shielding the rim with foil if it darkens too quickly. The outer filling should be set, while the center 2 inches wobble together without liquid ripples. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center should register about 175°F.
  7. Transfer the pie plate to a wire rack and leave it undisturbed at room temperature for 2 hours. The center will continue setting as residual heat dissipates, so cutting now would release warm, loose custard. Refrigerate the uncovered pie for another 2 hours, then cover it once fully cold. For tidy portions, wipe a thin sharp knife between cuts and lift each slice with a narrow pie server, supporting the tender pastry base.

Notes

  • Keep the dough cold but pliable. If it cracks heavily while rolling, let it stand for 3 to 5 minutes; if it feels greasy or floppy, chill it again before lining the plate.
  • Fill the blind-baking parchment all the way to the crust's upper edge. Partial weighting allows the sides to slump before their structure has set.
  • Do not skip the uncovered second bake after removing the weights. The base must look dry and show early golden color before the liquid custard is added.
  • Whisk the eggs gently rather than vigorously. Excess air produces bubbles and a foamy surface instead of the smooth, close-textured custard this pie needs.
  • Take the pie out while the center still has a controlled wobble. Waiting until it becomes completely rigid in the oven can produce cracks, curdled edges, or clear droplets on the surface.