This recipe has one of the most un-pie pie fillings you’ll ever come across. There’s nothing moist or juicy about it, and the name itself could very well scare you off, but somehow it all comes together. If you can imagine something like a coarse graham cracker–coconut cake, that would begin to describe it. You have to try this one to appreciate it. It begs for ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8–10 servings

　　Old-Fashioned Shortening Pie Dough or another single-crust dough

　　7 large egg whites

　　1 cup granulated sugar

　　½ cup packed light brown sugar

　　1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

　　1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

　　1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut

　　1½ cups finely chopped pecans

　　⅛ teaspoon salt

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　Vanilla or butter pecan ice cream, for serving

　　Caramel sauce, for garnish (optional)

　　

Step 1

Prepare and refrigerate the pie dough. Roll the dough into a 12½- to 13-inch circle and line a 9- to 9½-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, shaping the edge into an upstanding ridge. Flute or crimp the edge, then refrigerate the shell until needed.

　　

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk the egg whites, sugars, and vanilla in a bowl until evenly mixed. Add the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, pecans, and salt. Stir briefly, then add the butter and stir just until the filling is evenly mixed. Don’t overmix.

　　

Step 3

Turn the filling into the pie shell and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Bake on the center oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is crusty and has risen, rotating the pie midway through the baking. It’s fine if the pie develops cracks here and there.

　　

Step 4

Transfer the pie to a rack and cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnishing slices lavishly with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, if desired. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

　　Recipe for Success:

　　Chop the nuts by hand, not in the food processor, for the best texture. (The food processor can make them too fine if you’re not careful.)

　　Don’t overmix the filling. The more you work it, the stiffer and less spreadable the filling becomes.

　　You’ll have a lot of egg yolks left over with this pie. Consider making crème brûlée or custard with them.

　　From Pie Academy © 2020 by Ken Haedrich. Reprinted with permission from Storey Publishing.Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.