Cindy wrote:

> I haven't made lemon meringue pie in years, and rarely find a good one.
> The SO has converted me to the whipped cream camp for key lime pie.

I'm right with you on that. Growing up in Florida, the key lime pies we got
in the Florida Keys all had whipped cream on top. I think the meringue
version was created by people who confused lemon meringue and key lime pies.


> The one cream pie that I eat is Tom Douglas's triple coconut cream pie,
> which is a religious experience. I've had it twice this fall, courtesy
> of our football bets.

I like chocolate cream pie a LOT. I'm also fond of the coconut cream pie
recipe from _Miami Spice_. But I haven't had either one for years. I'm not a
big fan of meringue on pies, though I like it on old-fashioned banana
pudding and as a stand-alone element of desserts. (I made Frangelico
meringues with orange-chocolate béarnaise as part of my Valentine's Day menu
last year.)

Is the Tom Douglas you mention the same one who owns restaurants in Seattle,
and who competed on Iron Chef America several years ago? Is the triple
coconut cream pie recipe available online?

Coconut Cream Pie (adapted from _Miami Spice_)

1 cup milk
1 cup canned coconut cream such as Coco Lopez
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded (finely grated) fresh coconut
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 Coconut Pie Crust (recipe follows)
1 cup heavy (or whipping) cream
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon light rum or amaretto
1/2 cup shredded (finely grated) coconut, toasted (see note)

Scald the milk and coconut cream in a heavy saucepan. Beat the eggs in a
large mixing bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar, followed by the flour. Add
the 2 cups shredded coconut and whisk until smooth.

Whisk 1/4 cup of the scalded milk mixture into the egg mixture to warm it.
Whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture remaining in the saucepan. Boil
the filling, whisking steadily, until thick and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the filling to a bowl, dot the top with the butter, and let cool.

Spoon the filling into the coconut crust and let it cool completely. Cover
and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 2 hours.

Whip the cream in a chilled bowl, adding the confectioner's sugar and liquor
as it thickens. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon the cream
into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Decorate the top of the pie
with rosettes of whipped cream and sprinkle evenly with the toasted coconut.
Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to serve.


Coconut Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shredded (finely grated) coconut
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 egg yolks
5 to 6 tablespoons canned coconut cream, such as Coco Lopez

Place the flour, shredded coconut, salt, sugar, and butter in a food
processor. Run the machine until the butter is completely cut in; the
mixture should feel sandy, like cornmeal.

Add the egg yolks and coconut cream and pulse until the dough comes together
into a smooth ball, 1 to 2 minutes. If the dough seems too dry (it should
be soft and pliable), add a little more coconut cream.

Gather the dough into a ball and wrap on plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or
freeze for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to 11 inches in
diameter. Use it to line a 9-inch pie pan. Prick the bottom of the crust
with a fork and decoratively crimp and trim the edges. Line the crust with
aluminum foil and fill with baking weights, beans, or rice.

Blind-bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes (see Notes). Remove the weights
and foil. Continue baking until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer
the pie shell to a wire rack to let cool.

NOTES:

1. To toast shredded coconut, spread the coconut on a baking sheet, place it
in a preheated 350°F oven, and brown, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8
minutes. If you prefer, you can toast chopped macadamia nuts instead.

2. Canned coconut cream tends to solidify when cold. If the coconut cream is
too hard to pour, set the can in a bowl of hot water to warm it.

3. Blind-baking refers to cooking a pie crust without the filling. The
uncooked crust is first lined with foil or parchment paper and baking
weights, beans, or rice, which are added to weigh down the dough as it bakes
and prevent bubbling. The foil and weights are removed for the last 5
minutes of baking to allow the crust to dry out.

4. The coconut crust also makes a nice crust for banana cream pie.


Bob