French Coconut Pie

Darius finally got rid of the gun. Eight months after Marc died, after Tanya threatened to leave, after his oldest daughter (DJ's sister, born last year — a girl named Destiny) found the gun in a drawer. Nobody was hurt, but the finding was the catalyst. Darius handed the gun to a police officer at a buyback event and came to Sunday dinner afterward and said, "I'm done being angry." He is not done. But he is trying. Trying is what we do.

When Darius sat down at that table after the buyback, I didn’t say much. I just cut the pie. That’s what Sunday dinner is for — you don’t have to explain yourself, you just have to show up. French Coconut Pie was always what Mama made when the week had been too heavy and we needed something sweet to hold onto. It felt right to make it now.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 350°F. Place the unbaked pie shell in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges as desired.
Mix the filling. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the sugar, melted butter, vinegar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
Add the coconut. Fold the flaked coconut into the egg mixture until evenly distributed.
Fill the shell. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell, spreading it evenly.
Bake. Place the pie on the center rack and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is set but still slightly jiggly. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
Cool completely. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. The filling will firm up as it cools.

Nutrition (per serving)

French Coconut Pie — The Dessert That Says We’re Going to Be Okay