Creamy Coconut Dream Pie {PIE #3}

One man’s pain is another man’s pleasure. Coconut is one of those ingredients. Love it or hate it, not much in between. Personally, I love it. So to me, this coconut pie is truly a dream. The creamy filling and the fluffy whipping cream combine into a mouthful of delicious.

You may have noticed by now, that I like hiding a surprise in some of the pies I make. This one has a special crust made from ground coconut cookies, ground pecans and butter. The cookie crust is a perfect accent to the filling. But the surprise lies on top of the crust and is covered over by the creamy coconut filling. The surprise is a thin layer of chocolate ganach. To me, that hidden treasure is what makes this pie so appealing, and, well, truly dreamy. Try it, and see what you think. Of course, it is a matter of taste, and you’re free to leave that out if that’s the way it appeals to you.

Ingredients

Coconut cookie crust

1 -1/4 cups coconut cookie crumbs (or graham cracker crumbs)

1/4 cup pecans, ground

1/4 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in s medium bowl.. Press into 9” pie dish on the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 5-6 minutes.

chocolate ganach

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

In a glass measuring cup, measure 1/4 cup cream. Add chocolate chips to the cream, and notice the volume should be a 1/2 cup total. In the microwave, heat for about 1 minute, until cream begins to boil. Stir cream mixture, melting the chocolate and creating a smooth sauce. Add the corn syrup. Pour into the cooled pie crust and set aside.

Coconut cream filling

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

5 ounces flake coconut

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, and egg yolks with a whisk. Over medium heat and stirring constantly, cook the mixture until it is thick, and begins to bubbly. Simmer for 1 additional minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, and extracts. Cover custard with plastic wrap immediately touching the custard, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours. Spread the filling into the pie shell, over the top of the ganach layer.

whipped cream

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2-3 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a well chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the cream, sugar and vanilla extract until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Use a piping bag to decorative top the pie filling with the whipped cream, or use a spoon and spatula to cover the pie filling. Sprinkle toasted coconut over the cream. Chill well until ready to serve.

Toasting Coconut

Place 2 ounces flake coconut, evenly distributed on a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes in the 350 degree F oven, until toasted and golden. Keep a close eye on the coconut while in the oven. It is very susceptible to burning.