Coconut Cream Pie
A taste of tropical flavor meets custard-filled Midwestern homebakes – behold the glory of the Coconut Cream Pie. Granny always did have an adventurous streak, whether it was playing bridge on Sunday or incorporating exotic fruits into her pie recipes. This pie features a smooth creamy filling topped with a beautiful crown of golden meringue and toasted coconut flakes.
Reaching the perfect texture for a meringue can be a challenge. Granny makes it simple by using three different stiffening agents – sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Each helps the meringue to take and hold its distinctive fluffy shape.
Ingredients
2 cups milk
2⁄3 cup sugar
1⁄3 cup flour
3 egg yolks
1 cup confectioners shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
Meringue
2 egg whites
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
sprinkle of salt
Method
- 1. Make one of Granny's all-purpose pie crusts.
- 2. Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C). Separate eggs, saving the whites for the meringue. Beat the yolks. Add the sugar and flour, then mix until smooth.
- 3. Heat the milk over the medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook until thick. When the mixture has thickened, add the coconut, vanilla, and salt. Save a little bit of the coconut to sprinkle on the meringue.
- 4. To make the meringue, let the egg whites come to room temperature, then beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, vanilla, salt, and cream of tartar. The peaks will continue to stiffen, beat to your preference.
- 5. Pour filling into pie shell. Using a rubber spatula, distribute meringue evenly around edge then center of pie to keep it from sinking into filling. Make sure meringue attaches to pie crust to prevent shrinking. Use spoon to create peaks all over meringue. Sprinkle remaining coconut shreds over meringue. Bake pie until meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
