I heart pie

Recently written up for kp.

Favorite Coconut Cream Pie
filling:
1.5 cups whole milk
0.5 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks (save the whites for an omelet?)
3 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups shredded coconut (toasted)

crust:
1.33 cups shortbread cookie crumbs (about 5 oz) ((one half box of Lorna Doone Shortbread cookies)
2/3 cup shredded coconut (toasted)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

topping:


1.5 cups cold whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
First, coconut.  Put all of it (2.16 cups of it) on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for 10-ish minutes.  Take it out when it starts to brown.  Set aside to cool.  Set aside a smallish handful to sprinkle on the top for prettiness sake.

Turn the oven down to 325.

Next, crust. One sleeve (half the package of Lorna Doone) shortbread cookies.  Leave in package and beat the heck out of it with a blunt object like the end of a spoon. Make cookie dusty crumbles.  Mix in 2/3 cup toasty coconut and melted butter.  Spread in pie plate so it's like a crust.  Tamp it in.  Bake at 325 for 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Make filling.  It's really pastry cream.  You know, the deliciousness that is in eclairs.  But I digress.  Oh, and if you forget to buy milk, just use some of the left over heavy whipping cream.  Super delicious.  soooooooooooo........... Put the milk (or substituted whipping cream) in a saucepan over medium heat until it is hot and a few bubbles just begin to form. Turn off heat.  Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Add in flour and whisk until smooth.  Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot milk into the yolk bowl mix.  Return mix to saucepan, medium heat, stir constantly until the mix thickens and just starts to bubble and boil.  Reduce heat to low and stir for about a minute more.  Put the mix in a bowl.  Mix in vanilla and coconut.  Press a piece of plastic wrap so it's on top of the mix.  Direct contact with it.  Poke a few holes in the plastic with a knife to let steam escape.  Refrigerate custard for at least an hour or overnight.  Whew, that was the hardest part.

Make topping.  Put cold whipping cream, cold powdered sugar and vanilla in a dry, clean bowl.   The trick here is everything is cold and the bowl is clean (no hidden butters or such to mess things up).  Beat with electric mixer until whipping cream is firm.  When you pull the beaters out the whipped cream makes pretty little peaks.  You could use a hand whisk if you don't have an electric mixer.  I've done it.  It's hardcore.  And an arm workout.  But not as fun.

So after all of this, you could just put the crust, bowl of custard filling and bowl of whipped cream in the fridge overnight and assemble the next day before you leave.
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Making chocolate cream pie too??

The custard filling above- just double it up to the coconut part.  After the cooking bit is all done, split the custard into two.  One bowl gets coconut and vanilla , the other bowl gets vanilla and melted semisweet chocolate- 4 ounces should more than do it.

Crust- do pretty much the same thing as above but leave out the coconut.  You could mix in some chopped toasted walnuts if you're feeling fancy.  Or do it with graham crackers. 

Topping- just double the amount of whipped cream.
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Banana cream pie??

The custard above- again double it, split in two.  Half gets the coconut and vanilla, other half gets 2 mushed up bananas and vanilla.

Crust- do pretty much the same thing as above but leave out the coconut.  You could mix in some chopped toasted walnuts if you're feeling fancy.  Or do it with graham crackers. 

Topping- just double the amount of whipped cream.
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Note:
I won't judge if you decide to buy pre-made crusts.  OK, I will a little because it's dang easy and sooo good with the extra coconut.  I won't judge much if you go with jello packet pie filling.  But I will judge if you use cool whip.  OK, not a whole lot.

So again, easy way is buy pre-made cookie/graham crust, make jello filling and top with cool whip.

If you end up with extra bits you can make mini pies in muffin tins.