Email to Cat      

Coconut Custard Pie

Source of Recipe

From "Sweetie Pie's Cookbook" by Robbie Montgomery


Recipe Introduction

"There are some desserts that just make you think of the South, and coconut custard pie is definitely one of them. My version uses my basic egg custard pie with a few tweaks, the most important one adding shredded coconut. You might also add 1 teaspoon coconut extract to give it even more of a coconut flavor."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 store-bought piecrust
â—¦ 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
â—¦ 3 large eggs
â—¦ 1 large egg yolk
â—¦ 1 cup sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ 1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 2½ cups evaporated milk
â—¦ 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
â—¦ Whipped cream for topping
â—¦ Toasted coconut flakes for garnish


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Roll out the piecrust and lay it into a 9-inch pie plate. Do this by flouring a work surface well and pressing the dough into a disk. Roll evenly in all directions, using a rolling pin, until you have a round crust that is 10 inches in diameter. This should be enough to fill the pie plate with a little overhang that you can tuck in or trim away after you fill the crust. Brush 1 tablespoon of the melted butter onto the piecrust and prick the crust all over with a fork. Bake the shell for 10 minutes, or until the crust just begins to lightly brown. Remove the crust to a wire rack and cool completely. Leave the oven on.

In a large bowl, use a fork to beat the whole eggs and yolk, then beat in the sugar, vanilla, coconut extract, if using, the nutmeg, and salt. Beat in the remaining cooled butter until it is totally combined.

Heat the evaporated milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Using a ladle, slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking quickly the whole time. Keep whisking until you've added all the milk.

Pulse the sweetened shredded coconut in a food processor so that the pieces are much smaller and resemble a coarse meal. Stir it into the egg mixture, then pour it into the pre-baked pie shell and set it on a cookie sheet or baking sheet in case it overflows. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pie doesn't jiggle when you shake it lightly. The pie might puff up then collapse back down; that's OK. Cool completely and serve topped with whipped cream and garnished with toasted coconut.


Makes one 9-inch pie