(Chicago) – I go loco for anything with coco. Any savory dish with rich coconut cream/milk is a no-brainer favorite, to name a few: Bicol express, laing, ginataang langka, etc. I even prefer my adobo with coconut milk as well. Then, there is macapuno which is a variety of coconut that yields soft and sweet flesh and used in many Filipino desserts like Halo-halo and leche flan. But the most popular use of coconut flesh in the Philippines is probably in “buko pie”.
Grated fresh young coconut is used as a rich filling to a buttery and flakey crust. There used to be a general rule in my family that anyone who went to Laguna or Tagaytay should come back home with buko pie as a “pasalubong”. Otherwise, some really nasty treatment awaited you. 🙂
Well, this dessert is divine. Actually, I’m addicted already with the commercial buko pies you can buy in stores or bakeshops in the Philippines. But after I cooked a homemade and adapted version of Amy Besa’s buko pie, I fell more in love with it, way much better from what I used to eat back home when I was kid.
Yes. I’m not ashamed to confess my love to my most favorite of all Filipino desserts, buko pie. Love it! 🙂
- Young shredded coconut flesh
- Make the creamy and sweet coconut filling
- Make basic pastry dough divided into 2, one for bottom and the other for top.
- Lay over the flattened pastry on 9-inch pie pan
- Pour cooled filling over pastry
- Fit 2nd dough on top and neatly fold the edges and flute with tines of fork. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 425F for 15 minutes and then lower to 350F for another 30 minutes.
- Cool the pie completely and ready to serve. Slice neatly and carefully.
