Coconut Cream Pie

I have a coconut lover in the house.  Her passion for coconut may have started when we pried open a coconut on a trip to Hawaii or more likely influenced by all the paleo recipes and advice from the nutrition and exercise gurus on the internet expounding the benefit of the coconut.  A birthday request for a coconut cream pie was placed.  This was a delicious pie – rich and creamy and delicious. 

Coconut Cream Pie

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups unsweetened coconut milk (from a 13.75­ounce can)

1¼  cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾-1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, to your preference

Crust one recipe of pâte brisée

Pâte Brisée

Makes Single Crust

1¼  cups flour

2 teaspoons sugar

½  teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons of ice cold butter cut into 1 inch pieces

¼ cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt for 10 seconds.

Open lid and spread butter cubes over flour return lid and pulse for around 10 seconds until mixture looks like crumbs with some larger pieces of butter.

Add water through the feed tube until dough comes together when you gather up in your hand a squeeze.

This should take no more than 30 seconds (over processed dough equals a tough crust).

If too crumbly and it won't hold together, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time.

Flatten into a disk on a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight or I pop mine into the freezer for 20-30 minutes

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. 

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a disk about 9 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch in thickness.

Place dough pie dish gently pushing dough into edges not stretching. 

Trim edges and refrigerate for 30 minutes or 15 minutes in the freezer.

Blind bake using foil or parchment to line the crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake the crust at 375ºF for 25 minutes.

Remove the foil with the weights and bake the crust until the bottom is golden and dry about 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool

Coconut Filling

Combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.

Whisk in coconut milk and whole milk.

Cook over medium­ high heat, stirring constantly, until bubbling and thick, about 7 minutes.

Whisk egg yolks in a medium bowl.

Add milk mixture to yolks in a slow, steady stream, whisking until completely incorporated.

Return to saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened.

Strain custard through a fine sieve into a bowl, and stir in vanilla and shredded coconut. Pour into piecrust, and smooth top.

Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until filling is completely set, about 4 hours, and up to 2 days.

Toasted Coconut

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Spread coconut amount of your choice evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Slow Whipped Smooth Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream

3-5 tablespoons granulated sugar (add more or less sugar to your preference)

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chill your bowl and whisk of your stand mixer, in the freezer or refrigerator 15 minutes prior to mixing.

Add the cream to a mixer with the whisk attachment and set to a low speed*.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the mixture slowly.

Whisk for around 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture begins to ripple.

Turn the mixer off and finish whisking by hand, until the mixture starts to stiffen and sticks to the whisk.

Be careful not to whisk too hard or the frosting will become clumpy.

*This method of mixing your whip cream produces a thick, smooth and stable whipped cream that will not breakdown and become runny.  The low speed forms small air bubbles that create a stable structure in the cream.  Whipping cream fast creates large unstable air bubbles that collapse and run.