Mini Coconut Cream Pie features rich coconut cream custard, toasted coconut and Salted Lime Caramel sauce.
Total Time2 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Keyword: caramel, coconut, cream, key lime, pie
Servings: 8servings
Author: Adapted Bobby Flay recipe
Ingredients
Pie Crust
1 1/4c.flour
pinchsalt
3tbspsugar
4oz.1 stick unsalted cold butter cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 1large eggbeaten (about 1 3/4 tbsp)
1/2tsp.vanilla
Topping for Pie:
1cupsweetened coconut flakes
Coconut Pastry Cream:
2cupscoconut milk
3ouncescream of coconutsuch as Coco Lopez, whisked before measuring to eliminate lumps
1/3cupgranulated sugar
1/4cupcornstarch
1egg plus 4 egg yolks
1cupheavy cream
Salted Lime Caramel:
2cupsgranulated sugar
1limejuiced
1/2cupheavy cream
2tablespoonsunsalted butterchilled and cut into 4 pieces
Fleur de selfor sprinkling
optionally you can purchase a jar of sea salt caramel sauce and add juice of 1 small lime
Candied Key Lime Slices:
2key limes
1/2cupgranulated sugar
Special Equipment
4" mini pie tinsmake the crust in batches if you have less the 8 tins
Instructions
Pie Crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add cold butter slices and process to consistency of cornmeal.
In small bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla. Add egg to the flour and process until it forms a ball. Remove dough from processor and press together with heels of your hand until smooth.
Arrange 8 ungreased mini pie tins on a baking sheet. Pinch off about 1 tbsp. of dough, roll into a ball and then press into bottom and sides of pie tin. Repeat with remaining tins.
Bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove and cool.
Toasting Coconut - Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, tossing once, until toasted, about 6-8 minutes.
Coconut Pastry Cream
Bring the coconut milk and cream of coconut to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
Add the sugar and cornstarch to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk until combined, then add the egg and yolks and whisk on high speed until the mixture reaches a pale yellow color and it drops down like ribbons when you lift the whisk.
Add a couple of ladles of the hot coconut milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to temper the eggs, then pour all of the egg mixture into the coconut milk saucepan and return to medium heat. Whisk vigorously and constantly until the custard starts to boil and thicken.
Place a bowl into an ice bath (shallow large bowl of cold water and ice) and strain the pastry cream into the bowl to remove any lumps. Place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate over the ice bath until cool and firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
Whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl until it reaches stiff peaks, refrigerate until ready to use.
Salted Lime Caramel
Add the sugar to a medium saucepan. Pour 1/4 cup of water and squeeze the lime juice over the sugar, swirling the pan to fully moisten. Cook over medium-heat until bubbling and deep amber in color, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully whisk in the cream. Whisk in the butter piece by piece. Finish with a sprinkling of fleur de sel. Note: Optionally you can purchase a jar of sea salt caramel sauce and add juice of 1 small lime. I used Stonewall Kitchens Sea Salt Caramel Sauce.
Candied Key Lime Slices
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make a simple syrup: Heat the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Slice the key limes into 1/16-inch slices. Brush the slices with the simple syrup and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet making sure they do not overlap. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before using.
Finish and Serve
Whisk the coconut custard until it is light and smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Spoon the mixture into the pie crusts. Top with the toasted coconut flakes. Place a spoonful of the salted lime caramel on each plate and place a pie on it. Drizzle with more salted lime caramel and garnish with a candied key lime slice.