Chai Coconut Pumpkin Pie

So for Thanksgiving dinner, I had two bakers over for dinner and I know, oh how I KNOW that they’ve been baking pumpkin pies like mad all week leading up to this holiday, so I wanted to change up the typical pumpkin pie for them. I sat there the day before on the M&M’s couch and thought of all the different combinations you could do. I thought of curry maple syrup pumpkin pie, curry coconut pumpkin pie, cranberry orange pumpkin pie, and chai coconut pumpkin pie. 

Well, I could have thought of more, but I stopped there because then I got pretty excited about Chai Coconut. So I guess this was a delicious experiment to be tried and they were my guinea pigs, but I think it came out with an excellent result. I hadn’t chilled the pie after baking, so it came out more like a very moist pumpkin pie, or a mousse like consistency, but after I chilled the leftovers over night in the fridge, it came out more solid and perhaps more like a thick pudding. 

Note: Don’t be too impatient when you’re reducing the coconut milk. You want to reduce an entire can into probably 1/2 to 1 cup. Also, this is a really simple recipe. I’m not saying anything about hacking down a sugar pumpkin or harvesting your own coconuts. They’re all conveniently from cans available at any grocery store. One obstacle if you don’t live in Vancouver… Make your Chai Masala into a paste. I’ll tell you the directions, but I conveniently have an “in” at the Granville Island Tea Company, so I didn’t have to make it.

Ingredients:

• 1 can  (15oz) 100% Pure Pumpkin. Make sure there is no sugar added in the list of ingredients.
• 1/2 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Black Tea (I used Tarajulie, but any other non-scented tea would work too)
• 1/2 Cup Chai Mix
• 1 – 9” Unbaked Vodka Pie Dough *instead of the parmesan, add in 1 cup of Shredded Coconut Flakes
• 3 Tbsp of Shredded Coconut Flakes for the top.

Chai Masala Mix:
Buy Chai Masala Mix from Granville Island Tea company OR get a bag of your favourite Chai Tea, then mix:

• 2 parts Skim Milk Powder
• 2 parts Sugar
• 1 part Chai Masala Spices
• 1/2 part of Butter
• 1/4 part of Hot Water

What’s in Chai Masala Spices? (According to an employee of the Granville Island Tea Company): Cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and black pepper.  You can try to mix it yourself, but it has to be right combination which only tea masters know. (or research!)

1. Make the Vodka Pie Dough  and instead of the parmesan, add in 1 cup of Shredded Coconut Flakes. Chill in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

2. Open a can of coconut milk and pour into a sauce pan. Take a Tablespoon of Black Tea, and put it in a tea bag, or just steep the readymade tea bag (use two) into the coconut milk when the coconut milk comes to a simmer.

3. Steep for about 2-3 minutes, squeeze the juices out of the tea bag and keep stirring the pot. Let it reduces to about a cup or less. Keep stirring often, but in the mean time, start on the pumpkin mix.
 
4. Open the can of pumpkin puree, pour into a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 can condensed milk and 2 eggs. Whisk.
  
5. Add the 1/2 cup Chai Mix, cinnamon and ginger, and salt. Whisk in between each addition.

6. Add the cooled reduced coconut milk/ tea concoction. Whisk some more.
 
7. Pour the entire mixture into the pie shell.

8. Spoon lines or dollops of the Chai mix on top, and with a toothpick, make little swirly patterns.

9. Put in a Preheated 350 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes, or until set. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Note: With 10-15 minutes left on the clock, sprinkle shredded coconut around the edge of the pie to have a toasty coconut garnish.



I wish I took a picture of it sliced up…I was too busy eating it though.