Granini's Coconut Cream Pie

Granini's Coconut Cream Pie

(Okay, so that's actually a picture of my lemon meringue pie, but I haven't taken pictures of the coconut cream pie yet, and I thought that A picture was better than NO picture.  It will look sort of like this.  Only I won't toast the top, and there will be snidgets of coconut.  But you get the idea.)

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

Either a prebaked pie crust

or

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (approx. 11 graham crackers, smashed to smithereens)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Filling:

2 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

8 large egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions:

Pie Crust
Follow the recipe here:

Or, make a Graham Cracker Crust.

Totally your choice.

It's all up to you and your happy little tastebuds.

Graham Cracker Crust

Either place the graham crackers into a food processor and crush them until they're in a fine powder;  or you can do it my way.  Put 11 graham crackers into a large ziplock bag.  Then use a rolling pin to mash the crackers into smithereens.  Melt the butter.  Pour the butter into the graham crackers, and stir until well mixed. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie plate.  Chill for 20 minutes.  Then bake at 350º for 14 minutes.  Allow crust to cool before filling.

Filling:

1. Heat oven to 350º.  
2. Place 2 cups of shredded sweetened coconut in a single layer on a large baking pan.  Toast 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove when golden brown.  Split into two piles.  1 1/2 cups in one pile, and 1/2 cup in another.  Set aside.
3. Prepare and bake pie crust.
4. In a saucepan, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and cornstarch.  Add the yolks and 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Slowly pour in the coconut milk and 1 cup of heavy cream, whisking constantly.  Add in 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until mixture starts to steam, then stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir.  When mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise, remove from heat and whisk in butter.  Place custard in a bowl, lay plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until cold.  Place a metal mixing bowl and beaters from an electric mixer in the freezer while custard is cooling.
5. When custard is cold, combine remaining 1 cup heavy cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt (just a pinch, really) and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in the chilled bowl and beat on medium speed for 60 seconds.  Increase speed to high and whip until peaks are firm and smooth.  
6. Place chilled custard into pie shell and top with whipped cream.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup coconut over the top of the whipped cream, once the pie is assembled.

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Pictures:

Bake a pie crust.  Then, while the pie crust is baking, toast your coconut.

Toast the coconut for about 4 minutes.  Smells great!

Place the coconut on the bottom of your baked pie crust

Make your custard.  Starts out smooth.  After a few minutes, it's the consistency of mayonnaise.

Pretty, pretty custard!

The coconut milk gave it a wee bit more of a grainy texture

 than a  normal custard, but the extra flavor is divine.

All your custard to cool completely.

Whip up your cream with the sugar, vanilla, and salt.

Make sure your pie is ready to go...

Add in the custard.

Then top with whipped cream and coconut on the tippy top.

 Ooooh, my!

* * * * *

Recipe slightly adapted from Christopher Kimball's The Dessert Bible.