April 27, 2014

never satisfied (and a giveaway)

I don't think I'll ever actually stop trying to improve every recipe I attempt, even if it already yields one of the most amazing and delicious creations I've ever consumed. It's just my nature to wonder if there's any way I can make it better.


I told you a few weeks ago about a dessert I had for my birthday that sat atop a macadamia nut crust. It was SO good and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. I already have a killer coconut cream pie recipe, but apparently so does Teeny. For my Easter dessert, I decided to give Teeny's recipe a try with the additions of coconut extract and a crust made using macadamia nuts and toasted coconut.


First things first--the crust was wonderful. It wasn't really anything like what I had eaten on my birthday, but it was superbly tasty and complemented the coconut cream filling very nicely. Secondly, I ended up making this pie in a 9-inch springform pan, which isn't traditional, but worked out famously--the slices slid right out, I could cover the pie without fear of smushing it, and there was an added bonus of leading people to believe I had made a cheesecake instead of a pie. Fooled you!


The filling was excellent as well; in fact, it was extremely similar to the pie made using my favorite recipe. I added extract because I wanted the flavor of coconut to really come through, and it did. I garnished the pie with more toasted coconut and some chopped macadamia nuts and deemed it a delicious success. Things I will repeat include using a macadamia nut crust for all kinds of pies and eschewing a pie plate for the springform pan.

There's still time to win a copy of Teeny's cookbook--read about the giveaway here!

Coconut Cream Pie
From Teeny's Tour of Pie
Makes 1 9-inch pie
Ingredients:
Filling:
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons packed cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes
Crust:
  • 5 ounces (approximately 1-1/4 cups) roasted macadamia nuts, ground
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • 1/4 cup toasted coconut, ground
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions:
First make the crust: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground nuts, panko, ground toasted coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.
Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch cake, pie, or springform pan. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until lightly browned. Let cool completely.
Next make the filling: Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan and whisk together. Add the milk and egg yolks and whisk together until there are no lumps.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a low simmer and begins to thicken, about 7 minutes.
Continue cooking, whisking constantly and being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching, until mixture beings to boil, about 2 minutes. Still whisking constantly, let it boil for a full minute, then immediately remove it from the heat.
Add the butter and vanilla, whisking until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add 3/4 cup of the coconut and stir with a spoon to fully incorporate.
Pour the coconut cream into the prebaked crust and, while still hot, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming on the top. Refrigerate until the cream has set, at least 4 hours.
Spread the remaining coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees F, flipping halfway through with a spatula, until it is light brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the coconut from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
Remove the plastic wrap from the pie, top with whipped cream or cool whip, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Serve cold.




*This post was also made possible thanks to some gift cards from Food Lion, one of North Carolina's best grocery stores. Again, no one can twist my arm to get me to write anything I don't mean.

27 comments:

  1. A divine pie! So luscious looking.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really interesting use of panko for the crust! I've never had coconut cream pie (it makes me think of Gilligan's Island!) but I think I would like this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would probably eat the entire crust it could make it to the pie. It looks fantastic, Grace.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I haven't a slice of Coconut Cream Pie in years....this sounds amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I want a slice! (or two, please?) That crust sounds divine. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my doodness I have many desserts to prepare for may, my 66th birthday, our 40th wedding anniversary and memorial day right by my birthday and wedding anniversary plus the beginning of sun and heat where we live, we only get about 2 months of actual sunshine and heat each year so when it comes it comes and we are so thankful..would love to win the Teeny's book, from momanddad00@clear.net and mary jane Sampson, love love and love some more your wonderful blog..happy week to you ciao!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Grace!

    I love the way you are always striving for the perfect...everything., Grace. I would imagine it puts a bit of stress on you more than a few times but just look at the results! The notion of using panko in the crust makes so much sense now that I actually see it in a recipe but, oh my, I would never dream to do such a thing, lol...

    Thank you so much for sharing this amazing pie, Grace. Sure wish I could dive in!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow! That looks amazing, Grace! The crust is to die for and I love all the coconut and nuts scattered around. Some for every mouthful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This was my father's favorite dessert.
    It is a classic and looks delicious!
    Blessings dear, Catherine xo

    ReplyDelete
  10. wow! a slice of this pie, a cup of coffee....repeat!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Grace, your delicious food clicks and posts never fail to make us hungry...this pie with all those lovely coconut,coco-cream and macadamia nuts looks divine...definitely a killer delicious dessert.....and about that learning and improvising,experimenting and making best recipes better....that is the hallmark of a natural,talented and expert cook...that is you,thanks so much for the inspiration :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ohh un pie maravilloso quiero un trozo,abrazos

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you, dear. Just makes me all the more glad I'm an old Southern boy. God bless and keep the recipes coming. Allen

    ReplyDelete
  14. When I was a child my mom always asked me what kind of cake I would like for my birthday. I always said lemon meringue pie, but may have changed it to coconut cream with macadamia crust if I had known of it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This would certainly fulfill the spirit of ooey gooey. Looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh my! I don't think a dessert could get any better than this. Seriously drool worthy Grace. YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Grace, this looks so delicious. I love coconut cream pie but don't think I've ever tried one with a macadamia crust.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I don't even like coconut and I want this. Now.

    ReplyDelete
  19. As a huge coconut enthusiast, I feel like you made this for me Grace. Which of course you didn't but a girl can dream right? :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Coconut cream pie is one of my favorite desserts and yours looks fantastic, Grace!

    ReplyDelete
  21. OMG! Every layer of this pie is just a piece of heaven...love the lemon curd and the crust with coconut, macadamia and panko just sound delicious...
    I so wish for a forkful of this pie...yum!
    Thanks for sharing the recipe Grace, hope you are having a great week :D

    ReplyDelete
  22. This is a little masterpiece Grace! All these layers of pure pleasure just spoke to my heart!

    ReplyDelete
  23. The macadamia and coconut crust sounds delightful! I've had tropical flavors like this on my mind lately. Wish I could sample a piece of this lovely pie right now.

    ReplyDelete
  24. This looks so darn good.. boy can't wait to taste it.. excited.. Happy Wednesday with love Janice

    ReplyDelete

Tell me things!