Aunt Faye's "French" Coconut Pie

By Beepers

I am not sure who Aunt Faye is, but my friend Paige got this recipe from a San Fran cooking school she attended before we both got married . This recipe is a favorite, although I alway seem to have trouble with the crust...still taste great though, even if the crust doesn't "look" perfect!

Ingredients

• Sugar crust:
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter, room temp.
• 2 c sugar
• 1/3 c buttermilk
• 2 t vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 5 eggs
• 5 oz. angel flake coconut
• 10 or 11 inch partially baked sugar cookie crust tart shell
• 1 c plus 3 T all-purpoise flour
• 1 1/4 sticks of unslated butter
• 5 1/2 T sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/8 t grated lemon zest
• 1/4 t vanilla
• 1/2 egg (beat 1 egg first and then divide)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375
Combine crust ingredients in a mixer bowl using paddle on low speed. When dough comes together, remove and flatten, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate a min. of 30 minutes.

Roll dough on floured surface, working rapidly so dough stays fairly cold. Fit dough into 10 or 11 inch tart pan and gently press dough down against sides of pan so that the walls of the tart are sturdy. run the rolling pin over the edge to remove excess dough. Prick the bottom and put in freezer for 5 min.

Lightly butter foil and fit foil into tart pan, butter side down, and gently press against the dough smoothly. Fill with pie weights (beans or rice will do as well.) Bake 10 min. Carefully remove foil and weights, continue to bake another 6 minute for partially baked crust. (For a fully baked, cooked another 2 to 3 minutes.)

For pie:
Reduce oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk, vanilla and salt. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in coconut, and then pour into prepared tart shell (may have extra filling so don't overfill!!)

Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Cover with foil last 5 minutes if getting too dark. Cool on rack at least one hour before serving. Pie can be refrigerated, but best served room temp or barely warm.