Pineapple and Coconut Cream Pie
This pie has the summery tastes of a piña colada and should be enjoyed with your eyes closed, imagining a tropical island.
Pastry:
120g flour
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
125g lard (Holsum) or butter
± ¼ cup iced water
Filling:
2 large or 3 medium pineapples, peeled, the spines removed, cored and chopped
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornflour
Pinch salt
1½ cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon coconut essence
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Mint leaves
Topping:
250ml fresh cream
¼ cup vanilla yoghurt
¼ teaspoon coconut essence
To make the pastry:
Add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor. Chop the cold Holsum or butter into blocks and add to the mixture. Process until well combined, keep the engine running and add the iced water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together. Remove from the processor and bind together. Cover with cling film and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Roll out onto a floured surface, lift and cover the base of a 23cm pie dish. Trim the extra pastry from the top. Line with wax paper and pie weights (rice or beans will do) and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Remove the wax paper and weights and bake for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
For the filling:
Add the chopped pineapple to a pan with ½ cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar and a few mint leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. In another saucepan, add the sugar, cornflour, milk and salt. Heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add ¹⁄3 of this hot mixture to the beaten eggs, whisking fast, then combine this with the rest of the hot milk mixture. Continue stirring and heat until the mixture thickens into custard. Put the pineapple into the pastry case, pour in the custard and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for two hours. Whip the cream, fold in the yoghurt and essence, and use to top the cold pie. Cut into slices and serve.