Description
White Christmas Pie is a luscious, creamy dessert featuring a flaky homemade pie crust filled with a delicate coconut and gelatin-based filling, topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries in a sweet sauce. This festive pie combines smooth textures and tropical flavors, perfect for holiday celebrations or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup ice cold water, plus more as needed
Filling
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup water
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut, plus more for sprinkling
Topping
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh diced strawberries
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Butter: Cut the butter into pats and place on a plate. Freeze the butter while preparing the other crust ingredients.
- Make Dough: In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar to combine. Add cold shortening and pulse. Add frozen butter and pulse until pieces are pea-sized. While pulsing, add cold water gradually until dough holds together when pinched.
- Chill Dough: Turn dough onto floured surface, form into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll and Shape Crust: Roll dough on floured surface into a circle 2 inches larger than a 10” pie plate. Transfer dough to pie plate; trim excess and crimp edges to form a high ridge with a decorative scalloped pattern. Freeze for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Blind Bake Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes, remove weights and parchment, prick bottom with fork, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Cool crust to room temperature.
- Bloom Gelatin: Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Prepare Filling Base: In a medium saucepan, mix 1/3 cup sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat until boiling; cook for 1 minute more while stirring.
- Add Gelatin and Flavorings: Stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in almond and vanilla extracts. Cool quickly by placing saucepan in an ice bath.
- Whip Cream: Beat 1/2 cup heavy cream to soft peaks; set aside.
- Whip Egg Whites: Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and remaining 1/3 cup sugar to stiff peaks; set aside.
- Combine Filling: Whip cooled filling mixture briefly to make creamy. Gently fold in whipped cream, whipped egg whites, and shredded coconut using a rubber spatula.
- Fill Crust: Evenly spread the filling into the cooled pie crust.
- Decorate Top: Whip 2 cups heavy cream to stiff peaks and pipe decorative swirls over the filling with a large star tip. Sprinkle additional shredded coconut on top.
- Prepare Strawberry Sauce: Mix diced strawberries with confectioners’ sugar and allow to macerate until syrupy.
- Serve: Slice pie and serve pieces topped with strawberry sauce.
Notes
- Freeze butter and shortening before mixing to ensure a flaky crust.
- Pie weights or dry beans can be used to prevent crust from puffing during blind baking.
- Use a food processor for quick and even dough mixing.
- The gelatine filling must be cooled rapidly to prevent it from setting too soon.
- Fresh shredded coconut can be substituted with dried sweetened coconut but flavor may vary.
- Chilling the dough and crust prevents shrinking and collapsing during baking.
- Decorate with whipped cream while it is freshly whipped for best texture.
- Strawberry sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of pie)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
