IMPOSSIBLE PIES

Film and food.

One of the owners of Looses Cookshop recommended the film Julie & Julia because I’m a food blogger myself. I know I’m very late and I don’t know why I hadn’t seen it yet. Well now I have and of course I loved it.

As most of you know the film is based on not just one but two true stories and works in two timelines. One is about Julia Child and the other about a contemporary food blogger Julie who is cooking her way through Julia’s book on French cuisine.

Even though I should probably relate to Julie more, I found Ms Child a lot like me: she’s very tall and loves butter. Oh, and there’s one more thing… the pearls. At one point Julie cries: ‘Pearls! The woman wears pearls in the kitchen.’

Honey, I wear pearls in bed. A lady needs her pearls.

Luckily for her, Julie starts to appreciate the beauty of pearls herself.

On to the food then...

The recipe is not French but it could easily be. I saw the original recipe here but it didn’t work so I had to adjust it quite a bit. Not much remains of the original but the ingredients.

The baking temperature was too low, there was too much flour, too much desiccated coconut and the instructions were a bit risky to say the least. You really want me to mix lemon juice with egg and milk? I did, actually, and luckily it did not split. The second time it did.

The original tag-line for the pies is ‘Impossible to resist’ but I think ‘Impossible to get right’ is more accurate.

Why are they called pies and not cakes? I don’t know.

The pies should have a firm, browned top and a sauce underneath. You just won’t get this if you use the amount of flour and coconut the original recipe quotes. I did try and below you can see the result.

The sauce should move into the hole but as there is too much flour and desiccated coconut, there is no sauce.

The second time I already reduced the amount of flour and coconut but it wasn’t enough. There was a lovely sauce at first but as the pies continued cooking at the table due to still being hot, the sauce firmed up.

The third time I used barely any flour and less sugar as well and converted all the measurements into volume for simplicity.

The pies were divine.


Impossible pies – made possible


6 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp gluten-free flour mix
7 tbsp desiccated coconut
0.5 tsp (2.5ml) gluten-free baking powder
zest of one lemon
5.5 tbsp coconut milk or milk
1 egg
1 tbsp melted butter, salted is fine
4 tbsp lemon juice


Mix together sugar, flour, desiccated coconut and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, mix together lemon zest, coconut milk, egg and melted butter.

Combine the mixtures and add lemon juice. Mix well.

Divide equally between two ramekins or small ovenproof dessert bowls.

Heat up the grill and brown the top of the pies. You can use a kitchen blowtorch if you don’t have a grill.

Bake in 200°C until the top is firm. The pies will be wobbly but will firm up slightly.

Serve when warm, not piping hot.

'Bon appétit!'