Coconut Cream Pie

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 quart nonfat milk, divided
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 baked 9-inch pie shells
• 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups coconut, toasted
• 2 -3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Recipe

• 1 reserve 1 cup milk to mix with cornstarch. place remaining milk in large saucepan; add half-and-half, butter and 3/4 cup sugar. cook and stir over medium to medium high heat until biutter is melted and milk is scalded.
• 2 in a bowl, whisk egg yolks well; add 1/2 cup sugar and salt and whisk very well.
• 3 slowly add a little bit of hot milk mixture to egg mixture. then slowly add egg mixture to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly for about half a minute, and allow to cook for 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat. (this gives eggs time to cook and start thickening. undercooking at this point slows the finishing process by about 30 minutes).
• 4 mix reserved 1 cup milk and cornstarch; slowly add to hot mixture.
• 5 cook over medium to medium low heat while stirring constantly or lumps will form. continue to stir for at least 2 minutes, then every 5 minutes for 15-20 minutes.
• 6 when pudding is thick, stir in vanilla and 1 cup toasted coconut. remove saucepan from stove. cool pudding for 10-15 minutes before dividing and pouring into pie shells.
• 7 cover and chill pies for at least 3-4 hours.
• 8 just before serving, beat cold whipping cream until soft peaks form.
• 9 gradually beaat in powdered sugar and vanllla until thick, smooth, and creamy. spread on top of pies.
• 10 sprinkle each pie with 1/2 cup toasted coconut and serve.
• 11 store leftovers covered in fridge.