A note about this recipe: the sweet tart crust recipe makes enough dough for two full 9-inch pie crusts, with a little room for error. I decided not to halve the recipe here due to the awkwardness of trying to use half an egg yolk and the prevalence of measurements that are in thirds. Once you have rolled out the dough and transferred it to the pan, cut the extra off with a knife, roll the scraps back into a ball, and double wrap it in plastic to be stored in the freezer. Then, the next time you want a pie, it will take half as much time!

Good ol' Blueberry-and-Coconut Pie

Good ol' Blueberry-and-Coconut Pie

Good ol' Blueberry-and-Coconut Pie

Good ol' Blueberry-and-Coconut Pie

Blueberry and Coconut Pie

Adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo KitchenGood ol' Blueberry-and-Coconut Pie.  Serves 8-12.

  • 2 1/3 c. flour
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into small cubes, then chilled well
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 c. heavy cream
  • a few drops ice water, if necessary

For the filling and topping:

  • 6 TBS salted butter, divided
  • 1/3 c. flour
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon extract or zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 c. blueberries
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1 TBS cornstarch

For the crust:

  1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest until combined.  Add cold, cubed butter and pulse until mixture has a sandy texture, with pieces of butter no bigger than a pea.  In a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, heavy cream, and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients and pulse just until dough comes together when you pinch it.  Remove dough from bowl and work into a ball.  If mixture is still too dry/crumbly, add a few drops of ice cold water as necessary.  Knead the dough just until it is even in consistency and moisture.  Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least half an hour before using.

For the topping and filling:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Melt 2 TBS of the butter and cool slightly.  Add 1/2 tsp vanilla to melted butter.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/3 c. flour, 1/4 c. sugar, and 1/4 c. of the coconut.  Add the melted butter mixture and combine well.  Transfer mixture to freezer for half an hour to set.
  2. Soften the remaining 4 TBS of butter, and mix with the confectioner’s sugar until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, until incorporated, and then add the lemon extract and remaining 3/4 c. of coconut.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, toss blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch, and let sit 5 minutes.
  3. While berries are macerating, roll out chilled dough on a floured counter into a 10-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.  Roll the dough loosely over the rolling pin to transfer to the 9-inch pie tin, and drape over the tin.  Press the crust into the bottom and edges of the pan, then use a knife to cut the excess from the rim.  Roll together the scraps and freeze for a later pie.
  4. Spread the coconut filling evenly across the bottom of the pie.  Top with the blueberries and their juices.  Remove the topping from the freezer and use a fork to break it into small pieces.  Scatter these pieces over the top of the pie.  Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes, until crust and topping is golden-brown and berries are bubbling.

Dining and Cooking