Coconut and Chocolate Pie for #PiDay

For those of you who might enjoy another reason to eat pie, mark March 14th on your calendar and join the annual celebration of Pi Day! Somehow when you include the offering of PIE, celebrating the mathematical constant Pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference (distance around the circle) to its diameter (distance across the circle—width) sounds a little more inviting. Pi is approximately equal to 3.14, hence the date of celebration 3-14. Get it?  Great! This coconut and chocolate pie was made (and eaten!) in honor of my pie-loving friend who is a math professor at our alma matter. Her mathematical brain runs circles around mine but we speak the same language when it comes to pie…or ice cream…or chocolate…you get the idea. My only wish is that I could have shared this with her in person. Happy Pi Day!

The recipe for this pie belongs to Martha Stewart. I spotted it in her book, Martha Stewart’s Pies and Tarts. Her Crisp Coconut and Chocolate Pie has a lot going for it:

• there are only four ingredients
• this pie is filled with the easiest chocolate ganache that you’ll ever make
• this is a GLUTEN FREE dessert!
• you can (and should) make this pie ahead of time so it is ideal for entertaining
• you will look like you’ve worked for hours even though the hands-on time for this pie is minimal
• this pie is phenomenal!

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
11 ounces sweetened shredded coconut (I used one package which was 5-6 cups)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:
Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a food processor to combine the butter and half of the shredded coconut. Then put the mixture in a bowl and add the rest of the coconut. I used a spatula to help incorporate the shredded coconut.  Press the mixture into a pie pan. Start in the middle and press towards the edges. The base of the crust should be packed tightly but the edges can be left loose.

Cover the edges with a pie protector (look at the pretty pie shield my mother-in-law picked out for me at Lakeland) or make a circle with aluminum foil to cover the edges. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the middle of the pie starts to brown. Let me note that I baked my crust for at least 20 minutes in the first stage and the middle still had not browned—BUT the bottom of the pie crust had browned without trouble. I used a glass pie pan which likely made the difference. Take the cover off and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the edges start to brown. Let cook on a wire rack.

The Filling:
Heat the cream to barely a boil in a saucepan. Pour it over the finely chopped chocolate and and let it sit for ten minutes. Then stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour it into the crust then refrigerate overnight.

Serve and enjoy!

Do you want to see other pies in the spirit of Pi Day? I just learned about Dorothy's celebration at Crazy for Crust from Sarah who commented below. I linked up there-- so many great pies!