chocolate coconut cream batter pie.

Looks like a giant misnomer, doesn't it? Like, how can this be pie? Alas, the devil is in the details. It's a chocolate coconut cream batter pie. I'd say that the recipe title did a pretty good job of enticing me into baking it by including the word pie.

Think of it as a crustless pie. More accurately though, it is to me, a huge circular coconut-cream-cheese-swirled brownie. It probably even is. I knew beforehand that this would come out looking nothing remotely like a proper pie but I still can't help feeling disappointed. The word pie connotes crusted treats with fillings ranging from creamy to fruity to chocolaty, and in some cases even toppings- a picture of decadence and grandeur, so placing "pie" in this recipe title really unconsciously set me up for disappointment. Because when you place "batter" next to "pie", honestly, "batter" disappears.

I feel like I've been hoodwinked.

I'll give full marks to the recipe title for creativity though.

The slightly tangy cream cheese swirl is dotted with chocolate chips and M&Ms. The M&Ms aren't supposed to be in there but I figured that I would like a bit of colour. Nah, just kidding. I just wanted to use up the pathetic 2 tablespoons worth of candy left in the fridge. As usual, the colours ran, and it was painful to watch streaks of red, blue and green contaminate the pale yellow of the cream cheese as I stirred, but I think the colours made the final product look prettier.

I'm hankering for more coconut flavour though. There's only so much desiccated coconut can do (I was supposed to use sweetened flaked coconut but I doubt there would be much of a difference). I need to make something that is crazily coconutty soon. Like a coconut cake with coconut milk in the batter and frosting, because the real magic likes in coconut milk. Uh huh.

Oh coconut, me loves.

Oh yes, before I forget, the brownie portion isn't bad too. It's dense and fudgy and chocolaty enough- a great pairing with the cream cheese swirl.

Chocolate Coconut Cream Batter Pie
makes a 9 inch pie
adapted from Baking by Flavour

For the coconut cream topping:
4 ounces cream cheese
3 tbsp vanilla-scented sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
large pinch of salt
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut

For the chocolate fudge brownie batter:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup vanilla-scented sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9 inch pie pan.

For the coconut cream topping: Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in the egg yolk, flour, vanilla and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips and coconut.

For the chocolate fudge brownie batter: Whisk the eggs to blend. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla until mixture is lightly thickened. Whisk in the melted butter and chocolate until homogenous. Stir in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the walnuts.

Scrape the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate batter and use a knife to lightly swirl the two together. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.