Coconut cream Pie

 coconut cream pie is one of my husbands favorites. He loves to get this delicious recipe whenever we eat at our favorite recipe. This awesome pie can also be prepared at home. Start with the crust recipe I shared yesterday on Annies Home or you can use a prepared crust from your frozen section or another favorite crust recipe of yours.

First start by baking your crust, no matter what type you choose. Line the crust with parchment paper and add pie weights or you can use dry beans. This will keep the crust bottom from bubbling or buckling.

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Pie Filling:

in a heavy saucepan

• 1 baked pie crust (bake the crust at 425 until beginning to brown)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 TBSP cornstarch
• 1 small can flaked coconut
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups milk, evaporated milk, half n half or any combination of these
• 3 egg yolks (the egg whites can be used for your meringue)

Mix sugar and cornstarch until completely blended. Add milk slowly and mix completely with a wire whisk. Cook, stirring continuously, over low heat until it begins to thicken. Take out a little warm filling and add to your egg yolks and mix WELL. Pour this back into your saucepan. When filling gets thick add butter and whip with your whisk until it is melted. When your filling is sufficently thick, add vanilla and coconut (reserving 1 TBSP coconut to sprinkle on meringue). Top hot filling with meringue (recipe below), sprinkle with remaining coconut. Bake at 425 until coconut is toasted and peaks of meringue are browning.

Now for one of my favorite parts of this pie the meringue.

Start with a clean dry bowl. The bowl can be glass, ceramic, stainless steel and copper bowls but it must be clean and dry. Chilled eggs are the easiest to separate so break and separate before you are ready to create the meringue as the egg whites need to be room temp before beating into meringues. Add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tarter to bowl per egg white used.

If you prefer you can make the meringue using cream of tartar, white vinegar or lemon juice.

Whip eggs on medium til soft peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons white sugar per egg white. The egg whites should reach firm peaks and be glossy. The meringue should be spread to the edges of the pie of hot filling to seal the edges.

 

Bake at 425 degrees F for 4 to 5 minutes. Or until peaks are browning and coconut is toasted.

Some folks are really put off by using the raw egg whites…I personally don’t. But if you do, you may use meringue powder and follow the directions provided.