Lime Coconut Pie

  Key Lime Coconut Pie With Rum Cream

For the Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham-cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut (preferably frozen kind, defrosted)
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:
3 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 14-ounce cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh key lime juice (or fresh Persian lime juice, or bottled key lime juice)

For the Rum Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
3 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden brown (See Note)

For the Crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate.

Combine the graham-cracker crumbs and 1/3 cup coconut with the sugar and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of pie plate, tamping down the crumbs to form an even crust. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and set aside while preparing filling.

For Filling, in a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and cream of tartar. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk. Gradually whisk in the lime juice until well combined. Pour mixture into the prepared crust.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the filling is just set. Remove from oven, cool completely, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

For the Topping, whip the cream until lightly thickened and gradually whisk in the sugar. Beat to soft peaks and whisk in the vanilla and rum. Whip to medium stiff peaks.

Spread about two-thirds of the whipped cream over the pie filling. Place the remaining cream in a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe a shell border or series of whipped cream rosettes around the perimeter of the pie. Sprinkle the whipped cream with the toasted coconut. (For an even prettier appearance, don’t spread the whipped cream over the entire pie, but only pipe it around the edge before sprinkling with toasted coconut. Alternatively, if you don’t want to bother decorating with a pastry bag, just served slices of the pie topped with dollops of whipped cream and sprinkles of coconut.)

Makes 8 servings.

Note to toast coconut: Spread coconut in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from pan immediately to avoid over browning or burning.

Adapted from Sweet Stuff: Karen Barker’s American Desserts