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Liz Sorby’s Coconut Cream Pie

Liz Sorby’s Coconut Cream Pie

This is hands-down the best version of a coconut cream pie I have ever had. Liz Sorby brought it to an afternoon tea we had at Viti Whippy’s home in Suva.The lemon layer adds a pleasing tang, and lime would be good here as well. This recipe shows why Fiji’s kailoma women are famous for their desserts.

Serves 12

Ingredients

Crust

  • 125 g butter
  • cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1½ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour
  • 1 tablespoon custard powder

Coconut Cream

  • 1½ cups milk
  • cup sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • ¼ cup cornflour
  • ¼ cup milk, extra
  • ¼ cup grated coconut
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Lemon Cream

  • 300 ml heavy cream
  • ½ can condensed milk (200 g)
  • 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites)
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon

Meringue

  • 2 egg whites (reserved)
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
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Method

  1. To make the crust, preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter a 23 cm pie dish. Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and continue to cream.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients together and use a knife to combine them with the creamed mixture. Line the pie dish, bottom and sides, with the crust. Bake until lightly browned (about 20 minutes).
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the coconut cream. Pour the first quantity of milk into a saucepan and add the sugar and salt. Put over a low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  4. Blend the cornflour and extra milk. Add this to the saucepan, continuing to heat, and stir until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens.
  5. Stir in the coconut, vanilla essence and butter. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  6. To prepare the lemon cream, whisk the cream in a bowl with the condensed milk and the egg yolks until combined. Add the lemon juice and zest.
  7. Finally, make the meringue. Whisk the reserved egg whites until foamy.
  8. Add the sugar, a little at a time,continuing to whisk until all the sugar is incorporated and the meringue isstiff and glossy.
  9. To assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 175°C. Spoon the coconut cream into the cooked pie shell and cover with lemon cream.
  10. Top with the meringue and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meringue is toasted.
  11. Let the pie cool before slicing. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
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Notes & Tips

This recipe is brought to you by the South Pacific Food & Wine Festival.