Coconut Cream CavePie

As you know by now, I work in a cubicle. In a basement. And I work long hours (way more hours than I get paid to work). And I love my job (and I know I am super lucky to be able to say that). But it can be hard on the body-mind-soul. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found out they were sending me to Hawaii for work (SO EXCITED!). I jumped through administrative hoops and I scheduled a full agenda of meetings. Hell, I even packed (you can tell where this is going, can't you?).

I was supposed to leave this morning. But then, at 9 PM on Friday night, the trip was canceled.

SadFace doesn't even begin to describe it...

So yes, I'll admit, I threw a little hissy-fit (at least at that late-hour, it happened in the relative-private of my apartment - sorry CaveBoy!). And after that was over, I got down to the business of canceling a long-planned trip. Even though it would seem that each hotel room, or flight, or meeting I canceled would reinforce my sour mood, it didn't. The activity actually generated the forward momentum I needed to get out of my funk.

In my training as a Personal Defense Readiness coach, we spend a lot of time on fear management. One of the key learning tools creates an acronym out of the word FEAR: Failure Expected Action Required. You feel fear because you anticipate failure (in whatever realm) and the consequences that come with that. The only way to overcome fear (and thereby avoid the "inevitable" consequence) is to take action.

Even though I didn't exactly feel fear when my trip was canceled, I absolutely was in the emotional dumps because of the consequences of canceling such an endeavor. Action was required! So naturally, after I finished dealing with United Airlines, my next decision was to make a paleo coconut cream pie.

What? You don't follow my logic? Let me break it down...

1) Cooking is one of my favorite activities. It takes creativity and precision, requires both sides of my brain, and provides a tangible (and delicious) reward for my efforts. If any action will do, I'll choose to take action in my kitchen.
2) CaveBoy loves pie (well, all food, but pie is a food). Knowing how much he is going to enjoy what I cook provides an immediate double-whammy emotional boost. Gift-giving releases endorphins and, as we all know, endorphins make you happy. That's science.
3) I tend to eat my feelings, as I suspect we all do to some degree. Why else would we spend so much time trying to figure out what to eat to feel and look our best? If starvation was satisfying, we would just do that. Right? 
4) Saturated fat is particularly emotionally satisfying. Hello, coconut!

Makes perfect sense now, right?

Even though this pie was dreamed-up out of necessity - to preserve my sanity and emotional health - it tastes as if it were created in celebration! The subtle flavors and creamy texture are a joy to the palate. And the buttery, crispy crust is a delight. I almost regret sharing the true origin of this recipe. Forget you ever read any of this. Pretend I instead told a story about a birthday party. With puppies. And balloons. On the beach.

Deal? Thanks.

Coconut Cream CavePie

You wish you were CaveBoy right now, don't you?

For the Crust:

Ingredients

7 tablespoons salted grassfed butter*

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Coconut oil spray

Instructions

You'll recognize some of the ratios and steps from my Key Lime CavePie. Consider this version a variation-on-a-theme and more-of-a-good-thing.

Grease a pie plate with coconut oil spray. Melt the butter and honey in a skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut and, stirring continuously, toast the coconut until it is a uniform golden brown. Transfer the toasted coconut to the greased pie plate and let cool enough to touch.  Once it is "cool" (the coconut should still be quite warm for this step) press the coconut into the pie plate, creating a crust. Refrigerate crust while you prepare the filling.

For the Filling:

Ingredients

10 eggs

2/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup canned coconut milk

1/3 cup pineapple juice**

1 tablespoon spiced rum

Instructions

The filling needs to be made in two separate batches that are then folded together. For the first batch, in an un-heated medium sauce pan whisk together 5 eggs, 1/3 cup coconut oil, 1/3 cup coconut milk, and rum. Once fully combined, place over medium heat and whisk continuously until the filling begins to thicken. Lift from heat and continue to whisk until the filling is thick (about the consistency of home-made pudding). Transfer into a medium bowl. 

Rinse sauce pan with cold water. Then, for the second batch, whisk together 5 eggs, 1/3 cup coconut oil, and 1/3 cup pineapple juice. Once fully combined, place over medium heat and whisk continuously until the filling begins to thicken. Lift from heat and continue to whisk until the filling is thick. Transfer the filling into the same medium bowl and gently stir to combine the two batches. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Pull out the cold pie crust and chilled filling. Spoon the filling into the crust and smooth the surface. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Serves 8 (or 1 depending on how many feelings you need to eat).

*Note1: You can substitute coconut oil and a pinch of salt for the grassfed butter.

**Note2: If you're my sister, substitute 1/3 cup coconut milk and 1 tablespoon raw honey for the pineapple juice.