I always thought the name Impossible Pie or Impossible Coconut Pie was a strange name for a pie. It seems that no one really knows for sure where the name came from, but it may be from the fact that this pie is “impossibly” easy to make. Or maybe it’s because it seems “impossible” how a bunch of ingredients that are just mixed together can end up as a three layer pie.
This is my mother’s recipe. As I remember it, she started making it in the 70s. I always loved it, especially the coconut topping that gets all nice and crispy around the edges. It wasn’t until I got marrried, and Mom gave me her recipe, that I found out how easy it was to make. All you do is mix the ingredients together in a blender, food processor, or even by hand with a wire whisk. Then you just pour the mixture into a deep dish pie plate and bake it. When you pull the pie out of the oven you will find that the flour settles to the bottom of the pan to form a soft crust, the coconut forms the topping, and the center is like a custard. I love to serve this warm from the oven but it’s also good at room temperature or even cold. Leftovers can be covered and stored although you will find that the coconut topping does soften.
For this recipe I like to use sweetened dried coconut, either shredded or flaked. Sweetened dried coconut is made by combining dried coconut with powdered sugar. It is soft and chewy and quite sweet. It is normally sold packaged in plastic bags or small cans. Always check the expiry date as you want the coconut to be nice and fresh. If you can’t find sweetened dried coconut you can use unsweetened dried coconut (shredded or flaked). Unsweetened can be found in some grocery stores or else specialty stores or in health food stores.
This time I wanted a coconut flavored cake/pie so there is a cup of flaked unsweetened coconut in this pie and a pinch of nutmeg. And because I love chocolate, I just had to sprinkle some grated chocolate over the top, chocolate and coconut just go so well together, and that’s just how I roll.
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