Coconut Cream Pie using Fresh Coconut Milk

Coconut Cream Pie using Fresh Coconut Milk

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Sugar
2 cups Fresh Coconut Milk
1 cup Whole Milk, plus 1/4 cup to make slurry
1/2 Vanilla Bean, Seeds scraped out
1/4 cup Cornstarch
5 Egg Yolks (reserve the whites if you want to use for meringue)
1/4 Salt
1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 Tbsp. Butter
1(9-inch) baked pie shell

For Whipped Cream Topping
1-1/2 cups Cold Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Powder Sugar
1/3 cup Toasted Coconut

or

For Meringue Topping
5 Egg Whites
1/2 cup Powder Sugar
1/3 cup Toasted Coconut


Procedure:

1. In a 1 quart saucepan, combine 2/3 cup sugar, coconut milk, whole milk and vanilla bean (scrap seeds into milk and than add pod). Heat over medium-heat. Before milk starts to boil, remove 1/2 cup of liquid.

2. In a small cup or bowl, your going to whisk together the remaining milk and cornstarch to make a slurry. ( This will make sure your batter doesn't come out lumpy).

3. Separate eggs and set the whites aside. Using the 5 egg yolks, whisk with salt. Using the warm milk that you removed from the saucepan, you are going to slowly combine this with the eggs. Make sure your liquid isn't too hot, and using a ladle pour small amounts while whisking your eggs, you want to have a sauce like texture and not scrambled eggs. Now add your yolk mixture to your slurry (milk with cornstarch), and whisk until everything is combined. Than add yolk/Slurry mixture to the milk mixture that is on the stove immediately once you see your milk start to boil and raise. You have to work fast during this process because the milk will boil over if you take too long. Using one hand slowly pour in your slurry into the milk, while with the other hand you whisk everything until well incorporated. (You will notice that your coconut milk will thicken quickly).

4. Turn off heat and add your coconut flakes and butter. Mix well.

5. Pour mixture into baked pie crust and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 2 hours.

6. Meanwhile, place a clean metal mixing bowl in freezer for about 1 hour.

7. 15 minutes before you start to make your whipped cream, place your heavy cream in the freezer. You want this to be as cold as possible without it freezing.

8. In a large bowl empty a few trays of ice cubes and place your metal bowl over the ice. Add your heavy cream and using an electric mixer beat your heavy cream until you start forming soft peeks. Than using a sieve to break up the clumps of powder sugar, add your sugar to your whipped cream and continue beating until you have firm peeks.

9. Remove your coconut cream pie from refrigerator and pour whipped cream over the pie. Use your spatula to make peeks. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

10. Serve Cold

For Meringue Topping

In a clean dry bowl, using an electric mixture, whip eggs whites until soft white peeks start to form. Using a sieve to break up the clumps that powder sugar makes, add sugar to egg whites and continue to whip until you get firm white peeks. During this time you can add Vanilla bean to give your Meringue flavor. Pour meringue over pie making sure it covers it completely. Use a torch pass it over to give the golden color you desire or bake in a 375 degrees F oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with toasted coconut and cool on wire rack. Make sure it's completely cooled before serving.

Note: If you don't have Vanilla Bean you can use 2 tsp. Good quality Vanilla Extract. If you can find Bourbon Vanilla Extra I highly recommend it.

To make homemade Coconut Milk- makes about 1/2 gallon
1 Coconut
Boiling Water
Cheese cloth or a Clean white Tee shirt
2 Large bowls
Blender

Procedure:
1. Open your coconut and reserve the water inside, refrigerate this water because you will be using it later. Don't worry that flakes go into the water, this will be removed later.

2. Remove coconut from it's shell and slice into 1-2 inch thin slices.

3. Boil about 6-8 cups water.

4. Add about 2 cups of sliced coconut to your blender and add enough boiling water to just barely cover coconut.

5. Loosen the plastic cap of the lid of your blender so the heat can escape and the top doesn't blow off with the pressure, burning you and making a mess in your kitchen.

6. On the highest setting, blend coconut with boiling water. Let process for about 1 minute.

7. Place cheese cloth or clean white tee shirt over one of your bowls. Use a rubber band to hold cloth in place or have someone help you. Pour hot coconut onto the cheese cloth/tee shirt. Add the cold coconut water that is in the fridge and pour over hot coconut to cool it down.

8. Squeeze all the liquid that you can out, and place flakes into the second bowl. (You can discard these flakes or you can use it to make candy or as breading for coconut chicken or shrimp)

9. Continue the same process until you've finished all the coconut and cold coconut water.

10. Once your done, use what you need for your recipe and you can refrigerate the rest to make other desserts, use for your coffee or use an alternative to milk in your morning oatmeal or cream of wheat, etc.


Using Coconut Cream
If you cannot find coconuts, than use coconut cream. Please, and I cannot stress this enough, try to find the brand called COCO LOPEZ, it comes in a blue long can with a bird in the front. It truly is the best coconut cream on the market.

If using coconut cream, omit the sugar in the recipe because this coconut cream is already sweeten, and use 2-1/2 cups of whole milk.