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.
