Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie....Well, you either love it or hate it. I have a friend that has complete textural issues with coconut. I will not go into her description of this, but she's a coconut hater, obviously. But, not me. Coconut makes me think of tropical escapes. Fruity drinks and lounging on the beach. Though, interestingly enough, I read somewhere that about 150 people die each year from coconuts falling on their heads. So, I'm thinking I might lounge with my fruity drink away from the coconuts. Well, you never know :)
Back to my point...so, I like coconut. No doubt. Yet, I'm so hesitant to make anything containing coconut for others due to the overwhelming number of coconut adversaries out there. But, last week, I decided to step out of the norm. I decided to throw caution to the wind. Ok, ok... so not really. My in-laws, whom I knew to be coconut lovers, were coming over for dinner. So, I decided to try my hand at a homemade coconut cream pie. Oh, I was so glad I did!! And, since I enjoy adding excess stress to my day when I have company coming over, I also decided to attempt to make my own pie crust. Well, this worked out to my advantage in the end, since the recipe made 3 pie crusts. I was able to make 2 more pies for Easter dinner. Multi-tasking in disguise!
I have to say, I was very pleased with every aspect of this pie. It was super creamy and incredibly flavorful. The pie crust was flaky and perfect (not that I would expect anything else from a recipe that the Pioneer Woman has posted on her blog!).  If you are a coconut enthusiast, like me, you will not be sorry you tried this recipe!! Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Pie 
via Allrecipes
 Ingredients

• 1 can of Cream of Coconut added to enough half & half to make 3 cups
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cups white granulated sugar
• 1/2 c corn starch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted*
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked-recipe to follow
• whipped cream- recipe to follow

Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine half and half/cream of coconut, eggs, sugar, corn starch and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 c of the coconut and the vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Pour into pie shell. Top with whipped cream and remaining coconut. Chill atleast 2 to 4 hours, or until firm. Store in the refrigerator.

*To toast coconut: Spread coconut on an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust
via Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 whole Egg
• 5 Tablespoons Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions:

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)
When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge. Bake according to pie recipe directions or if pre-baking, bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. *You will follow the pre-baking method for this pie

Stabilized Whipped Cream
via TasminCakes
Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients
heavy whipping cream 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
3 tablespoons of hot water
1 tsp Gelatine
1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon
In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.
[Tip: Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.]

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