COCONUT CREAM PIE (FILLING), an AMISH RECIPE

Saturday I sent my friend Janice a text and told her I thought I had been out of the kitchen too long. It was a first in all my years of cooking experience. We were hosting our little dinner group we call The Tasty Bunch. It is made of four couples and we go out to dinner once a month and then return to the "host" home for dessert. This month it was our turn.

We chose a restaurant, Strouds, that we haven't eaten at in a while. They served pan-fried chicken among other things and serve the vegetables family style at the table. They are a little pricey but considering how much food they bring you, it isn't really too bad. They also bring containers for you to take home the vegetables along with entree you can't possible eat all of. And that isn't all...they bring you cinnamon rolls at the end. I asked the waitress if she could bring them in a to-go box because everyone was coming to our house for dessert. When everyone was ready to go home, I fortunately remembered the cinnamon rolls and Friend Carol and I went to the kitchen to divide them out. We had four rolls for each couple. Unbelievable. (and so good)

Well, Saturday morning I wasn't thinking much about what I was going to eat for dinner but I was thinking about the two pies I had decided to make. I decided to make two pies because I didn't think one pie cut in 8 pieces would be very much dessert. As it turned out, it probably was, but anyway this would give everyone a choice just in case they didn't like the pie I was serving. I had chosen a chocolate pie and a coconut cream pie. Those are both my favorites.

I started at 9 o'clock to bake the pie crust for the coconut cream pie since it was supposed to be prebaked. I pricked the bottom and sides of the crust as the box said (Yes, I was taking the easy way out by using bought pie crusts, but you can't beat the Wal-mart brand of refrigerator pie crust that you unroll.), but when it baked it popped up in the middle. I knew it would either be a whop-sided pie or some of the pieces wouldn't have much filling. Disappointed I decided to put it aside and go on and mix up the chocolate pie and bake it. (I'll be sharing that recipe on Wednesday with you. It was delicious!) While it was baking, I decided I would just make another crust for the coconut cream pie, but make sure I had pricked the crust deep with my fork, and baked it as soon as I took the chocolate pie out of the oven. I also cleaned up my mess I had made in the kitchen mixing up the chocolate pie and rested a bit. 

After the second pie crust baked, I started mixing together the coconut cream pie. I am always nervous when I make a recipe where you add egg yolks to a hot mixture but I didn't have any problems. The problem was I had decided to use a double boiler to cook the custard and it was taking forever. The directions didn't say to use a double boiler and said to cook the mixture stirring constantly until it thickened and came to a boil and then cook it 2 more minutes after adding the egg yolks. Using the double boiler method, I was still stirring after 15 minutes. The mixture had thickened but it wasn't boiling. I sent Janice another text (I had been in conversation with her re the pie crusts. She suggested I could just push down on the pie crust after it cooled. She said it would probably break but no one would know it when I served the pie.) telling her I was so tired from stirring the mixture. She said she always just used the pan on the burner but it was risky since it was hard to not scorch it! I decided I would risk it and thought I had done okay until after I added the egg yolks and put it on the burner to cook it the extra 2 minutes. That's when I noticed the little specks of brown. I don't think I need to go on do I?

I dumped it down the kitchen sink and found another similar recipe (ingredients) but with different cooking instructions. (My husband had to also go by the store and get me some more milk and eggs for the second attempt.) This one was working out much better and I was feeling pretty good until I started to separate the eggs. The second egg surprised me by having a double yolk and part of it dropped in the bowl with the egg whites ruining them for making the meringue, but at least I still had the egg whites from the first attempt in the refrigerator. While the pie was cooling, I started to make the meringue. Reading the directions it said to add the remaining sugar to the beaten egg whites. Well, I didn't have any remaining sugar because I had used the whole cup in the custard. (I figured it would just turn out plenty sweet, but it tasted good. Janice's husband Leon told me it was the best coconut cream pie he had ever eaten.) I made the mistake of thinking nothing else could go wrong. I baked the meringue to lightly brown it, took a picture of it,and realized I had forgotten the coconut on top of the meringue. Not to be outdone, I just sprinkled some on top and then stuck it back in the oven to brown a little. By this time (it was around noon) I was beginning to think it was not meant for me to make and serve a coconut cream pie to the group.

The second recipe I used came from my Dutch Country Cooking, Recipes Compiled from Dutch Country Kitchens. It really did make a delicious pie and one I won't be afraid to make again.

Click here for a printable version of just the recipe.

COCONUT CREAM PIE (FILLING)

1     cup sugar, divided
1/2  cup flour or 1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2  teaspoon salt
2     cup milk
3     egg yolks
1     cup shredded coconut
1     teaspoon vanilla
3     egg whites
1     9 - inch baked pie crust

Mix 3/4 cup of sugar, flour or cornstarch, and salt together. (I misread the recipe using my "readers" and used the whole cup of sugar.)

Using a double boiler, scald milk. (I speeded up this process by heating the milk in a glass measuring cup for 1-1/2 minutes before pouring it in the double boiler over medium heat and boiling water.)

Slowly add the sugar/flour/salt mixture to the scalded milk stirring constantly.

Continue to stir the mixture over the boiling water until mixture thickens.

Beat the egg yolks one at a time and add about 1 tablespoon of the hot mixture to the yolk to temper the yolk and

then add it to the hot mixture continuing to stir.

Continue until you have the three eggs added.

Continue to cook the hot mixture over the boiling water and stirring constantly for 2 more minutes.

Remove the top boiler from the bottom boiler and add the coconut and

the vanilla.

Stir til well blended.

Pour mixture into cooled pie crust.

Beat egg whites and

then gradually add the 1/4 cup of sugar.

Beat until egg whites are very stiff.

Spoon onto pie filling making sure you cover to the edge of the crust.

Sprinkle some coconut on top of pie and bake in 425 degree oven for a few minutes until toasted.

Cool on wire rack. 











Place in refrigerator when cooled. Cool completely before cutting to serve.