When I say this is an old-fashioned pie, I mean it.The recipe is from a cookbook published in 1893!The custard, brightened with lemon, bakes up smooth and creamy.
The original recipe calls for "foundation paste," an old-school pie dough.
I have made it, and it was lovely to work with, but use your favorite crust, whether homemade or store-bought.
Line your pie pan with dough and crimp as desired.Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and milk or half and half until very smooth. A pinch of salt would be great here, too.
Sprinkle a thick layer of coconut into the crust and pour custard on top.
Press coconut down so all is covered with custard.
Bake until set and golden.
You can choose to blind bake the crust before baking the custard.
If not, place your pie pan on a preheated oven stone to make sure the bottom gets crisp.