I'm Coconuts Over You

Not too long ago I came across a recipe for a coconut pie crust filled with ganache.  The recipe only had four ingredients and was naturally gluten free!  I made it the very next day and my whole family went crazy for it. 

I wanted to make it again for a gathering but I have seen my gluten free foods get cross contaminated at parties (even when I set them apart or put a sticker on them). 

 

I just couldn't bear the thought of being separated from this pie, so I decided to make the recipe into bite sized treats.  No gluteny knives or forks would be necessary to serve! 

Whether it's full or bite sized, I think you will fall in love with this recipe!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 11 ounces (about 6 cups) sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61% cacao), finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put 4 tablespoons of  butter in a food processor. 

Mix it with one-third of the coconut until mixture forms a ball.  This takes 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining two-thirds coconut to the mixture and mix with your fingers.  Spray a mini-muffin pan with no-stick spray.

Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, place a ball of dough in each space.

I have a pastry press that I used to make the shells.  If you do not have one of these tools, simply shape the mini shells with your fingers. 

Be sure to leave the coconut at the top slightly loose.

After making the shells, I noticed what was on my bowl.  Is it wrong to make gluten free goodies in a bowl decorated with wheat shafts?  I'll struggle with my conscience later.

Place the shells in the oven and bake until they begin to brown (10 to 15 minutes). Cover with foil if the edges start to brown.  Cook another 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer crust to a wire rack to cool completely.

Be sure to place a cookie sheet under the shells.  The crust is very buttery and may drip over the sides.

To make the the filling, chop 8 oz of chocolate very fine.  My preference is 60% cacao. 

You may notice that my pictures shows a full pound of chocolate.  I doubled the ingredients for the filling so we would have some left over.  Yes, I did!  (We spread it on gluten free french toast the next day like a ganachy chocolate jam.)

Put the cream in a heavy sauce pan and bring just to a boil.  

Pour over chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

Let sit 10 minutes, then stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is combined.

I put the chocolate in a plastic baggie.  Snip off the end and used it to fill the pie shells.

When pouring from a baggie, just tilt the end of the bag down to fill and then lift up when you're reaching the top of the pie shell.

 

Refrigerate until filling is set.  The original recipe says for 1 hour or 1 day. 

 

If you can wait past an hour, more power to you.  I am so coconuts over this dessert I can barely make it that long. 

 

Enjoy!