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1
Combine the ground macadamia nuts, flour, and icing sugar. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand and just coheres when pressed. Press evenly into a 23 cm pie dish and chill for 20 minutes. Bake at 175 °C until the crust is pale gold at the edges and firm to the touch at the centre.
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2
Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch for the chocolate layer in a heavy saucepan. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and large bubbles break slowly at the surface. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until fully melted and glossy. Pour into the cooled crust and smooth level.
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3
Refrigerate the chocolate layer until it is completely firm — it must hold a clean impression when pressed lightly at the centre and show no movement when the dish is tilted. This is where the dish lives or dies: a chocolate layer that has not fully set will mix with the haupia poured above it, collapsing both layers into one muddy stratum.
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4
Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch for the haupia in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the coconut milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and the coconut aroma rises cleanly from the pan without any raw starchy smell.
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5
Allow the haupia to cool until it is warm but no longer steaming — approximately 60 °C. Pour gently over the set chocolate layer, starting at the centre and allowing it to spread without disturbing the surface below. Refrigerate until the haupia is fully set and the surface no longer yields to a light touch.
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6
Top with whipped cream before serving. When sliced, the two layers — dark chocolate below, white haupia above — must be clearly distinct, each with its own texture and colour. The crust provides an audible crunch against the firm, yielding pudding layers.