Coconut Cream Pie
We moved to Hawaii just before our son Sean was born. We were so broke that I had to rejoin the Navy to get Tiooy and our baby the care they needed. Moving to Hawaii was a surprise. When we arrived on Oahu, we were housed in what we would now call corporate apartments read right on King Kamehameha Highway. This apt was right across the street from Pearl Ridge Shopping Center where Anna Millers was located. That is where I fell in love with this pie, forty-some years ago. I updated the recipe with less “bad” alternative ingredients
Ingredients:
One nine-inch homemade pie crust or pre-made crust.
One 13.5 Fl Oz Can of Coconut milk
1 1/2 cups Half and Half – enough to make 3 cups combined with the coconut milk
4 egg yolks beaten slightly
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 Cups whipped cream or cool whip
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Spread coconut on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Place sheet in oven and bake stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk sugar, and cornstarch together. with vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk in milk, and mix well. Whisk in egg yolks and butter.. Mix well.
- Put in microwave for 3 minutes on high, remove, and beat well with whisk.
- Cook an additional 3 minutes, remove, and whisk well again. Repeat until the mixture is pie-filling consistency.
- Remove and beat in 3/4 cup coconut.
- Pour filling into baked pie shell. Refrigerate without whipped topping for 2-4 hours before serving
- Apply whipped topping liberally over the coconut cream and sprinkle reserved toasted coconut over the entire pie