Buko Cherry Crumble Pie

In the 1960s, a young woman named Soledad Pahud left the US and returned to her hometown, Laguna, with the goal of opening a bakeshop. She attempted to re-create the American apple pie, which she learned to make during her time abroad, but to no avail. Apples, not native to the Philippines, were hard to come by. Pahud, with the help of her sisters, turned to buko, young coconut, which flourishes across the islands. Destined to become a household name, buko pie was born.

Young coconuts aren’t fully ripened and eventually mature into the brown hairy ones. Their skin is smooth and green and their meat is juicy, soft, and supple, even gelatinous at times. Tucked between two layers of buttery pie crust, buko creates a sumptuous and refreshing dessert very different from American coconut pies, which rely on dried coconut shreds or flakes.

Parts of Pahud’s story may come down to local lore, but no one would contest that Laguna is home to the best buko pies in the land. What began as a family project turned into a family business and Pahud’s bakery, The Orient, continues to draw hundreds of customers daily who hope to get their hands on “the original buko pie.” The province is now home to many shops and hawkers dishing out the creamy pastry. There is no shortage of variety when it comes to buko pie, which has been remixed with the addition of lychee, pineapple, durian, and more.

My version paints the flaky bottom crust with a coat of cherry jam, giving each bite a snap of fruity tartness, while a crunchy cinnamon-kissed crumble sits on top like a bronze crown. This is very delicious.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Sugarcane’ by Arlyn Osborne. Buy the full book on Amazon.