Coconut Cream Pie



I'm not a fan of coconut anything, but Sweet Harold is and he requested this pie for Easter.  He and the rest of the diners thoroughly enjoyed it and I will trust their assessment of the recipe.  I will admit it was a beautiful pie!

If you're looking for a great source of pie recipes, I recommend Southern Pies by Nancie McDermott.

You'll need pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie (home made or store bought)

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
3 egg yolks
2 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cup shredded or flaked coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
3 T. butter
1 t. vanilla extract

Meringue
3 egg whites
5 T. sugar

Line a 9 inch pie pan with crust and crimp edges.  Line and partially bake the crust at 375 degrees for about 18-20 minutes until lightly browned.  Let it cool to room temperature.

To make the filling:

Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl and use a fork or a whisk to mix them well.  In another small bowl, beat the egg yolks.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk almost to a boil, stirring it as it heats up and begins to steam.  Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot milk and pour it into the small bowl of beaten egg yolks, stirring well as you pour.  This warms up the eggs and discourages them from curdling when they are cooked.  Scrape the warmed egg yolks into the hot milk mixture on the stove and stir well.

Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture to the warm egg and milk mixture and stir well to dissolve it.  Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture has thickened to about the consistency of cream and becomes very smooth and evenly combined.  Cook for about 1 minute more, and then remove the pan from the heat.

Add 1 cup of the occonut, the butter and vanilla.  Stir to mix everything together well and until the butter has melted.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling, and set it aside to cool to room temperature.  When the filling has cooled down, pour it into the pie crust and set aside. 

To make the meringue:  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixture on medium speed until foamy.  Increase the speed to high, and add the sugar gradually, about 2 T. at a time.  Beat the egg whites until they thicken and swell up into plump, shiny, soft clouds that will hold firm, curly peaks.

Scoop the meringue onto the filling and spread it out to seal the edges of the crust.  Mound it up in the middle and sprinkle the reserved coconut over the top of meringue.  Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the meringue is a beautiful golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes.  Place the pie on a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature, or refrigerate and serve chilled.