Desserts: Pie

More recipes to enhance your reading of the Natalie Seachrist Hawaiian Mysteries...

Here is a taste treat that will brighten the dessert tray at any event...and one that encourages the sharing of adventures in travel and cuisine.  You may already know the taste of lilikoi because this is the Hawaiian name for passion fruit [passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa].  Don't be put off by all the seeds in the tart fruit; they are edible.  During my two decades in the Islands, one of my favorite drinks was a mix of orange and lilikoi juices.  In Hawai`i, the best way to ensure your canned drink is cool at a brown-bag lunch is to freeze the can overnight. As with all of the recipes I share, portions of ingredients can be adapted to your taste and your supplies. 

LILIKOI CUSTARD INGREDIENTS

​3   Eggs  [large]
​1   Cup Sugar
4   Ounces Lilikoi juice
     [lemon juice may be used instead, but increase sugar to 1 ¼ Cups]
​

​PREPARATION

Pour custard into an uncooked pie crust.  A nice alternative is a graham cracker or ginger snap crust pressed into a 10 in. tart pan.  To avoid a soggy crust, brush the pastry with beaten egg white, or a little milk.  Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until the center of the custard is set and there is a little sugary crust on top.  Doneness can be verified by gently shaking the pan.  The custard should be fairly firm and golden.
 

SERVING
​Serve with sliced strawberries if desired, with or without a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream.  The presentation may be finished with a sprinkle of crushed food-grade lavender…
 

This recipe arrived from the kitchen of Auntie Beth, an avid reader and volunteer at the Friends of the Maui Library Bookstore in Kahului, Maui.  Although we have not met personally, we share a mutual friend, my editor, Viki Gillespie who lives in Portland, Oregon.  Viki sent Beth a copy of Prospect for Murder, and after responding positively to Natalie and her adventures, Beth donated the book to the library bookstore, where I’m honored to say it was quickly snatched up!  This opened the door to our ongoing communication.  By the way, I’m told that Auntie Beth is quite a baker, so I can’t wait to join you in trying this deviously simple recipe…I only wish I were closer to the Maui lavender farm from which she obtains her fresh lavender! ​