#letsbreakbread
So this week on THV11 This Morning I shared some goodies from one of my favorite Arkansas gems, The Red Apple Inn at Eden Isle. You know I’ve featured them before:
- The Red Apple Inn: Its Food, Its People, Its Stories
- The Red Apple Inn: Afternoon Tea
- The Red Apple Inn: Ham and Biscuits
One of the recipes I shared was for Paradise Pie which Mrs. Ruby Thomas, one of the original owners, always had available on the menu. Even though the property has changed hands a couple of times since the Thomases owned it, the Red Apple Inn has kept many of her recipes available due to their tradition and popularity. Paradise Pie is one of those.
It’s really a simple pie to make. You just won’t believe how uncomplicated it is really. It can be frozen quite well so it’s nice to have it available when you need to prepare ahead or to keep on hand for last-minute guests. I suggest you let it mostly thaw before serving. You could eat it frozen, I suppose, but it would be rather like eating a meringue popsicle.
Red Apple Inn Paradise Pie
Notes
The pie can also be frozen after topping with the whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Adapted from Feasts of Eden by Ruby C. Thomas
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 1/2 cups grated coconut, divided
- 20 saltine cracker squares, crumbled fine in a food processor
- 1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
- 1/2 pint heavy cream, whipped
Instructions
- Butter a 9-inch pie plate; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Lightly toast 1/2 cup coconut while preheating the oven; set aside to cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff
- Gradually add in sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon coconut extract and 1 cup coconut continuing to beat during additions
- Fold in crumbled crackers and pecans.
- Pour batter into prepared pie plate and bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.
- Cool completely. Freeze until shortly before serving.
- In a chilled mixing bowl with chilled beaters, beat whipped cream with 1 teaspoon vanilla until stiff.
- Top cooled (or frozen) pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with 1/2 cup lightly toasted grated coconut.
Be sure to join me next week when I’ll be sharing even more Favorites from the Red Apple Inn. In the meantime, go check out those first 3 links where you can read about the history and development of the inn property.
I sure hope you get a chance to visit this Arkansas jewel in the near future. When you do, be sure to tell Rachelle and Jack, long-time employees, I said hello. They are great people and I’m sure they’ll do everything they can to make yours a enjoyable visit.
