Government agencies have produced cookbooks for more than a hundred years that promote the use of local foods. I recently came across a small apple cookbook published in 1924 by the Fruit Branch of the Canada Department of Agriculture. The introduction to the book says that “Canada produces the best flavoured, most highly coloured and longest keeping apples.” I can’t vouch for the accuracy of that statement, but I can say that the book has some good recipes – though I used possibly inferior (??) U.S. apples.
One recipe was for Apple and Coconut Pie. The pie was delightful. This recipe takes a classic pie, and adds a fun tropical twist to it.
Here’s the original recipe:
I used cinnamon rather than lemon. When I made this recipe, in addition to flavoring the apples with sugar and cinnamon, I stirred in a little flour to help ensure that the pie won’t be overly juicy.
The recipe author spelled “cocoanut” with an “a.” I think that this is considered an archaic spelling now, so when I updated the recipe, I spelled it without an “a.”
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Apple and Coconut Pie
6 cups thinly sliced apples (cored and peeled)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 10-inch deep dish pie shell
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl; stir to combine. Add the sugar and cinnamon mixture into the sliced apples; gently stir until the apples are coated with the mixture. Set aside.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the coconut on the pie shell, then add the apple mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the apples are soft. Sprinkle 1 cup of coconut on top of the hot pie. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the coconut is just barely beginning to brown. Remove from oven.
Pretty soon it will be cool enough to turn the oven on again, and this one looks worth trying.
It’s a nice pie.
Sparky’s family is gaga over anything coconut! I’m thinking this will be a hit at Thanksgiving!
If they like coconut, they’d enjoy this recipe.
It does sound good! Imagine how it would taste with those Canadian apples!
I’m going to have to look for some Canadian apples. 🙂
Good luck with that, although you might do better with your location than I would–you are closer! The pie sounds good, Canadian apples or not!
Never seen one with coconut on it. It looks delicious.
Like you, until I saw this recipe, I’d never heard of an apple pie with coconut.
Have a good week.
Never combined the apple and coconut in a pie, but I’m sure the texture was really nice.
It did have a nice texture. The coconut adds some sweetness to the pie, so less sugar is needed than for the typical apple pie.
I’m going to remember this one!
Not sure if my comment went thru –
Now that’s an interesting addition to an apple pie! i wouldn’t have thought the two flavours would marry well but i guess they must do :=)
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/