COCONUT CREAM PIE

Crust: 1-1/4 cups four, 1/2 cup butter, cut into 8 chunks, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg , 1-1/2 tablespoon cold water ( or lazy, get a frozen deep-dish)

Pie Filling: 1-1/2 cups flaked coconut (3-1/4 oz can), 1-3/4 cups sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 4 egg yolks, 2 cups whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 8 oz whipping cream.

Crust: combine flour, butter, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into small pieces. When the mixture resembles course meal, beat together egg and water, and add to mixture. Stir briskly with a fork until it is mixed well enough to hold a ball shape when squeezed firmly between your hands. Pat the ball into a flat disk about 1-inch thick on a sheet of plastic wrap; chill 30 min before rolling

Heat oven to 400 deg. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle and drape it into a 9-in pie pan. Press it gently into the pan and trim the edges. Turn any extra dough underneath the edge and shape as desired. Prick bottom of the crust with fork several times. Place a piece of aluminum foil , dull side down, into the crust and add one pound of dried beans or pie weights. Bake the crust 15 minutes or until the crust is light brown. Cool crust. Save beans for cooking later or as pie weights.

Filling. Place coconut in a round cake pan and toast in a 350 deg oven for about 15 min or until light brown. Stir frequently and keep your eye on it. Cool

Combine sugar, salt and cornstarch in a medium-sized saucepan and stir to break up the lumps in the cornstarch.

In a bowl, beat egg yolks well, then beat in milk. Pour egg mixture into saucepan with sugar. Place the pan on medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar ( a whisk is good for this ) Continue to stir as the mixture heats and boils; Boil 1 minute, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and all but 1/3 cup of coconut. Set aside to cool briefly. When it is no cooler than lukewarm, pour into baked pie shell and chill. (Note: don’t agitate cooled filling. Once the filling has cooled, the starch molecules want to stay where they are; pour cooled filling into a crust and you find your filling becomes thin again.

CHOCOLATE: omit coconut; add 3/4 cup cocoa to the cornstarch and sugar mixture.

When the pie filling is set and cool, beat the cream until stiff; spread over pie filling; sprinkle with remaining coconut and chill until serving. Courier/Journel -Easter 96