Winner of the James Beard Award as Best Northwest Chef in 1994, Tom Douglas is a well-established icon of the Seattle culinary scene. His first restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, opened in 1989 and build a solid reputation as a bastion of Northwest sustainable cuisine. This amazing dessert is a long-standing fixture on the Dahlia Lounge menu.

For the Coconut Pie Shell:

In a food processor, combine the flour, coconut, butter, sugar, and salt. Pulse until mixture is crumbly. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing once after each addition, until dough holds together when pressed between fingers. (Dough will not form a ball or even clump together in processor—it will be loose.) Turn dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap; press into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 30 to 60 minutes.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to a 12 to 13 inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate (don’t stretch the dough), trimming excess to a 1- to 1-1/2-inch overhang. Turn dough under along rim of pie pan, and flute edges. Chill at least 1 hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 400° . Place a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper the pie shell, extending over edges, and fill with dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven; remove the foil and beans, and return pie crust to oven. Bake for 10 to 12 more minutes or until the bottom of the crust has golden brown patches. Remove from oven, and cool completely before filling.

For the Coconut Pastry Cream:

Combine milk and coconut in a medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape seeds into milk mixture. Add pod. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture almost comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until well blended. Temper the eggs by whisking about ⅓cup of the milk mixture into egg mixture. Add the warmed egg mixture to the saucepan with the milk mixture. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Whisk about 4 to 5 more minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat; add butter, and whisk until melted. Discard vanilla pod.

Transfer mixture to a medium bowl, and place entire bowl in a larger bowl of ice water. Stir occasionally until mixture cools. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of mixture and refrigerate until completely cold, about 4 hours. The mixture will thicken as it cools.

Fill baked pie shell with the pastry cream, smoothing surface. Beat whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually increase speed to high, and beat until soft peaks form. Pipe or spoon whipped cream over pie.

To garnish and serve:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread coconut chips on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly brown, stirring twice. Cool coconut chips before decorating the top of the pie. Using a vegetable peeler, scrape white chocolate into curls on top of the pie.