Description
White Christmas Pie is a festive and creamy dessert featuring a flaky homemade pie crust, a smooth gelatin-stabilized coconut filling, topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. This pie combines a buttery crust with a light, fluffy filling and a bright strawberry sauce for a perfect holiday treat.
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 over top
- 2 cups heavy cream as topping
- 2 cups fresh diced strawberries, for topping
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar to mix with strawberries
Instructions
- Prepare Butter for Crust: Cut the unsalted butter into pats and place flat on a plate. Freeze while preparing remaining crust ingredients to keep butter cold for a flaky crust.
- Mix Dry Ingredients & Shortening: In a food processor, pulse together flour, kosher salt, and sugar. Add cold vegetable shortening and pulse a few times, then add the frozen butter and pulse until pea-sized pieces form.
- Add Water & Form Dough: Slowly pulse cold water into the mixture, stopping to check dough consistency by pinching. Add water one tablespoon at a time until dough holds together but remains crumbly. Pour dough onto a floured surface and press into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll Out Dough & Shape Pie Crust: On a floured surface, roll dough to about 2 inches larger than a 10-inch pie plate. Transfer dough to pie plate, pressing gently on the sides and edges. Trim excess dough and pinch edge to create a high ridge, then form a decorative scalloped edge. Freeze crust for 30 minutes to prevent collapse when baking.
- Blind Bake Pie Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, pierce crust bottom with a fork to vent steam, and bake for an additional 15 minutes until golden and cooked through. Let cool to room temperature.
- Bloom Gelatin: In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin envelope in 1/4 cup water and set aside to bloom.
- Cook Filling Base: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk gradually while whisking. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, cooking for 1 minute to thicken.
- Add Gelatin and Extracts: Remove from heat and whisk in bloomed gelatin until melted and incorporated. Add almond and vanilla extracts. Place saucepan in an ice water bath to cool rapidly.
- Whip Heavy Cream: Beat 1/2 cup heavy cream to soft peaks and set aside.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a clean bowl, beat 3 egg whites with cream of tartar and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar to stiff peaks. Set aside.
- Mix Filling: Whip cooled filling mixture briefly in a mixer until creamy. Fold gently by hand in a large bowl the whipped cream, beaten egg whites, and shredded coconut until well combined.
- Fill Pie Shell: Spread the filling evenly into the baked pie crust using a rubber spatula.
- Prepare Topping: Whip the remaining 2 cups heavy cream to stiff peaks. Using a large star tip pastry bag, pipe decorative cream swirls on top of the filling. Sprinkle additional shredded coconut over the cream.
- Make Strawberry Sauce: Dice fresh strawberries and mix with confectioners’ sugar in a bowl. Let sit so strawberries release liquid, forming a natural sauce.
- Serve: Cut pie into 8–10 servings and serve topped with strawberry sauce.
Notes
- Keep butter and shortening very cold for a flaky pie crust.
- If you don’t have pie weights, dry beans or uncooked rice can be used for blind baking.
- The whipped egg whites add lightness and volume to the creamy filling, so beat them to stiff peaks carefully.
- For best results, chill the pie after assembling to allow filling to fully set before serving.
- Substitute almond extract with additional vanilla if preferred.
- If fresh strawberries are not in season, thawed frozen strawberries lightly drained can be used for topping.
- Use a 10-inch pie plate for ideal filling amount; a 9-inch plate will hold the filling but it may come close to the edge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
