Pie Project: Early Summer Stunner

Thimbleberry Coconut Raspberry Pie

Say WHAT??

The Thimbleberry described here is native to the Northern Michigan landscape where my lovely wife grew up. It is like a raspberry but pungently tart and floral, and so soft that one does not chew them, one crushes the velvety drupelets against the roof of the mouth with the tongue. They can barely be harvested and carried back to the house without crushing them, so the only form in which they can travel to Missouri is as a jam.

Yes! That's flavor!

The Coconut here arrives due to my curiosity regarding vegan custards. (Note this dish could be easily made vegan by replacing the butter in the crust.) The Raspberries were legitimately in season and delicious at the time of creating the dish.

SO. . . First you'll need a simple graham cracker crust. Combine in a food processor or crush within a strong plastic bag:

9 graham crackers (off-brand is OK) crushed to a coarse powder
Mix with:
4 T Melted Butter (or vegan margarine-type fat)
3 T Sugar
1 fat pinch of Salt

Press and pat this mixture into your pie dish of choice. Toast at 350 for about 10 minutes, until it sets and browns slightly.

Melt 2 oz Dark Chocolate. This can be done in a microwave by pulsing for 15 second increments, alternating with gently stirring the chocolate. I used Trader Joe's 72% Belgian.
Drizzle or spread the liquid chocolate over the bottom of the crust.  This provides a crunch and bitter note to the otherwise sweet custard. This step can be skipped, but c'mon. . . Any excuse to add chocolate is a good one!

Once the Chocolate is on the crust, chill the whole pie tin in the freezer for 10 minutes or the fridge for 30 min.

The "Custard"
1 c Coconut Cream (well-chilled)
2 T White Sugar
1/4 c plus 1 T Thimbleberry jam - or use Raspberry or other preserves to match your berry of choice.
1/8 tsp Freshly ground Cardamom. This spice does wonders for berries and coconut. Trust me.
Fresh Lemon Juice - just a little squeeze to lighten the tongue-coating fat of the coconut cream.

Whip the cold Coconut Cream until it lightens in texture, then mix in the remaining ingredients.
Pour into your chilled crust, shake gently from side to side to level the mixture.

Set into the cream: 1 to 2 cups of ripe Raspberries. Move the pie to the fridge, uncovered, until well set - about 1-2 hours. Slice and enjoy! It will keep a day or so in the fridge, covered after it has set.

Crust was a bit thin and could have been stronger. . . but even imperfect it was delicious.

What we have here is an easy alternative to Key Lime Pie or any other light, summery, "icebox" pie. Yes it uses some unusual ingredients, but it also provides the perfect palette for the ripe fruits of summer to show their colors.  Try with blueberry jam and fresh blueberries,  lemon curd and small ripe strawberries, or any other combination of good preserves and ripe abundance.  

I am aware that I'm really tooting my own horn about this pie. . . but you must taste to believe. As I say to my cooks rising to the ranks of management: "Trust, but verify." 
I hope this gives you much pleasure! Namaste.