Crust
1¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 tablespoons (or more) ice water
Filling
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
Meringue
3 large egg whites, room temperaturePinch of salt
½ cup sugar
CRUST: Blend flour, sugar, and lemon peel in processor. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over and stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 20 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Gently roll up dough onto rolling pin and unroll into 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Press into dish. Fold dough overhang under, even with edge of pie dish. Crimp dough edges decoratively. Freeze crust until firm, about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line frozen crust with nonstick aluminum foil. Fill foil with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue baking crust until golden, about 10 minutes longer. Remove crust from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Let crust cool on rack while preparing filling.
FILLING: Whisk sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in lemon juice. Whisk in egg yolks 1 at a time. Stir in lemon peel. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, about 10 minutes. Spoon warm filling into crust; smooth top.
MERINGUE: Using electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt in large bowl until very soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar; continue beating until mixture is stiff and glossy. Using silicone spatula, spread meringue over warm filling, covering to crust edges and creating peaks and swirls. Bake until meringue is pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack and serve.Technique Tip: Chill and BakeIf you have time, chill the pie crust dough before baking as long as one day or overnight. This allows the glutens in the flour to rest, reducing the amount the crust will shrink when baked.
The tang of the lemon juice and lemon peel balances the richness of the coconut in this bright, sunny pie. 8 servings
Crust
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
⅓ cup cake flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons chilled non-hydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
Filling
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups sugar
1¼ cups sweetened flaked coconut
¼ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
Topping
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
8 thin lemon slices
CRUST: Blend both flours, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to prepared dish. Trim dough overhang to ½ inch; fold under and crimp edge decoratively. Freeze crust 15 minutes.
Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Cool crust completely on rack. Maintain oven temperature.
FILLING: Using electric mixer, beat eggs, egg yolks, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add sugar and beat until mixture is thick and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in coconut, whipping cream, lemon juice, melted butter, lemon peel, and vanilla and almond extracts. Pour filling into crust.
Bake until filling is golden and set, about 40 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack, then chill until cold, about 3 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
TOPPING: Beat cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fill pastry bag fitted with large star tip with whipped cream mixture and pipe around border of pie. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.
This luscious version of the classic pie features a rich pastry cream filling and a triple dose of coconut flavor: in the filling, in the whipped cream topping, and in the toasted coconut flakes sprinkled atop the pie. The pie filling needs to chill overnight, so begin making this one day ahead. 8 servings
Crust
1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
3 tablespoons chilled solid non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 tablespoons (or more) ice water
Filling
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon coconut extract
Topping
⅔ cup sweetened flaked coconut
1¼ cups chilled heavy whipping cream