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Best-Ever Coconut Cream Pie

Source of Recipe

From "The Old Farmer's Almanac Comfort Food"


List of Ingredients


One Nut Crumb Crust, made with almonds

Filling:
½ cup sugar
3½ tablespoons cornstarch
â…› teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Topping:
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
¾ cup cold heavy or whipping cream
3 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract


Recipe

Prepare the crust as directed, using almonds. Cool thoroughly.

For filling:
In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt and whisk. Add the milk and yolks and whisk to blend. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture starts to boil, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat and add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking after each. Add the vanilla, coconut extract, and coconut and whisk to blend. Pour into the piecrust and smooth the top. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of and touching the filling to prevent a "skin" from forming. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight.

For topping:
Place a large bowl and your electric mixer's beaters in the refrigerator or freezer to chill for 5 minutes.

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden, stirring constantly. Immediately transfer to a plate.

Pour the cream into the chilled bowl and beat until it holds soft peaks. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat to blend. Add the vanilla and beat until the cream is stiff but not grainy. Spread the whipped cream on the filling and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.


Makes 8 servings



Nut Crumb Crust:

¾ cup coarsely chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or roasted peanuts
2½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
¼ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Lightly butter a 9½-inch deep-dish pie plate.
Combine the nuts, sugar, flour, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the graham cracker crumbs and whisk to blend.

In a small bowl, combine the vanilla and melted butter. Add to the crumbs and mix well. Add 2 teaspoons of water to the crumb mixture, then rub with your fingers until it is uniform and clumpy. Transfer the mixture to the pie plate. Press it evenly across the bottom and most of the way up the sides. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake on the center oven rack for 8 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.


Makes one 9½-inch deep-dish piecrust



• When cutting a cream or custard pie, wet the knife with hot water to make a clean cut that won't tear the filling.