Believe it or not, I’ve never been a huge fan of pies. I’m talking about the ones with the gloppy cooked fruit – cherry, blueberry, apple…I know, I’m un-American! My favorite characteristics of these fruits are their textures, the cold crunch or burst of a bite, and that ever so slight balance of tart and sweet, all of which disappear when stewed down to an overly sweetened, warm, chunky jam.
But if you can give me a smooth, tart flavor without the confusing chunky texture, I’m game. Which would explain why I love key lime pie and lemon squares. On my hunt for a paleo-friendly sweet treat (no I do not want to snack on more nuts and fruit in ball form) I stumbled across this recipe for lemon bars and it was love at first sight.
Now, I am by no means a master baker. Anything that involves careful measurement, weighing flour and the high potential for a recipe to go awry is enough to scare me away. After reading the author’s precise directions, and the many comments from followers post-recipe-implosion, I decided this crust was a bit too temperamental for my liking. Lucky for you, I did some research and came up with an easy to follow pie crust. Added some strawberries because it’s summer and I had my new favorite dessert!
I used a 9″ springform pan for the recipe, which made for 6-8 triangular slices. Note that you’ll need to let this set overnight in the fridge, or at least for a few hours in the freezer – though I haven’t tested that as a shortcut and can’t vet it.
Ingredients:
CRUST
1/2 cup of coconut oil in liquid/melted form
2 eggs
2 tbsp of honey
pinch of salt
3/4 cup of coconut flour
TOPPING
3 eggs
1/4 cup of honey
zest from 1 lemon
1/3 cup of lemon juice or juice from 3 lemons
2 tsp of coconut flour
6-8 medium strawberries
Directions:
To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, egg, honey and salt.
Use a fork to mix and whisk the combination, then add your coconut flour and stir until a dough forms.
Use your hands to mold the dough into a ball, then transfer to your pan and press evenly to the base and edges. Use the fork to poke a few small holes.
Bake crust for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly. Remove and let cool, and lower the oven to 250 degrees.
To make the filling and complete the pie: Using a fork or wire hand whisk, thoroughly combine the eggs, honey, lemon zest and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Add in the coconut flour and whisk a bit more.
Start slicing your strawberries by removing the stems, then thinly slice them longways and arrange them as a layer around the base of your cooled, baked pie crust.
Next, pour your lemon and egg topping over the berries.
Pop the pie in the oven to bake for roughly 25-30 minutes, or until it seems to be the consistency of a yogurt or loose jello. It will continue to set after you’ve removed it. Once it has cooled considerably, cover with plastic or foil, and place in the refrigerator overnight. You should be able to easily slice it the next day. Serve chilled and with extra berries for garnish! 
