Piña Colada Pie
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
This pie is best made the day before and decorated on the day of serving
Preparation time: 35 minutes (plus cooling and refrigeration time)
Cooking time: 1 hour
- 250g/8.83ozs. butter shortbread
- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
- 70g/2.47ozs. butter, melted (plus extra for greasing tin)
- 430g/15.19ozs. tin pineapple in juice
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2-2/3 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the pineapple)
- 3-4 tablespoons cornflour/fine cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 250ml/8.83fl ozs. cream
- 250g/8.83ozs. cream cheese, softened
- 250ml/8.83fl ozs. coconut cream (thick part)
- 1/2 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 4 egg yolks
To decorate
- 400ml/14.13ozs. cream
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1.5 rings of pineapple, cut into three pieces
- Glace cherries
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut shards
- 1 small lime, sliced thinly
- Mint leaves
- 3 small straws
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease a pie tin with butter. Process the shortbread with the coconut until it resembles fine crumbs and then add in the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are damp textured. Press into the pie tin and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Step 2 - Blend the pineapple with the juice until you get a fine texture. Heat in a saucepan juice and all and add the sugar and vanilla. Heat to medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the juice is concentrated a little. Then add the cornflour/cornstarch and heat and stir until thickened. Cool completely.
Step 3 - Whip the cream until you get almost stiff peaks and then place in a bowl. Then whip the cream cheese until smooth and add the coconut cream, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla and whip for 2 minutes. Add the whipped cream back until you get a thick, voluminous filling.
Step 4 - Spread the pineapple on the base of the biscuit crust and then spread the cheese mixture on top smoothing the top.Bake for 40-50 minutes until the centre is no longer liquid (a slight wobble is ok). The top will be golden. Cool completely and cover and keep in the fridge overnight.
Step 5 - The next day whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together until you get soft peaks. Dollop over the pie. Decorate with half moons of pineapple, glace cherries, mint leaves, lime slices, straws sticking out and a shower of lightly toasted coconut.