Triple Coconut Cream Pie

You remember how I raved about the coconut cream pie in Seattle? The one that I had TWICE? Thank goodness time #1 was a taste and time #2 was split with my mother-in-law. I calculated the nutrition information for a slice and…yikes! I haven’t posted anything sinful in quite some time and this recipe more than makes up for that.

But…oh my heavens. This pie is truly wonderful…for those that love coconut. There is tons of coconut in this pie (yay, fiber!). And the vanilla bean sends this over the top.

After returning from Seattle, I promised my dad this pie for a belated Father’s Day celebration, so that’s exactly what I did. I served this pie after a light meal of grilled chicken and veggie kebabs…leaving room and discretionary calories for dessert 😉

It’s too bad Mr. Prevention hates coconut…I had to ration out to myself the leftovers (thank goodness it was only 2 slices!).

As for the photos, they are lacking because I was far too impatient a good shot before digging in!

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Triple Coconut Cream Pie adapted from the recipe of chef Tom Douglas

Pastry cream:
2 cups nonfat milk
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Pie:
1 frozen pie crust, prebaked and cooled
2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 oz unsweetened “chip” or large-shred coconut
1 oz white chocolate, shaved

Directions:

To make the pastry cream, combine the milk and sweetened shredded coconut in a medium sauce pan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add both the seeds and pod to the milk mixture. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and stir the mixture occasionally until it begins to steam and tiny bubbles start to form around the pan’s edges (not to a boil). Remove from heat.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour until well combined. As you whisk, temper the egg mixture by pouring about 1/3 cup of the scalded milk into the egg mixture. Then add the warmed egg mixture to the milk and coconut mixture in the saucepan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and whisk until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Keep whisking until the pastry cream is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter and whisk until it melts. Remove and discard the vanilla pod. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, then place it over another bowl filled with ice water. Stir occasionally until it is cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a crust from forming, and refrigerate until cold, about an hour (Note: The coconut pastry cream can be made a day ahead, covered with plastic wrap as above, and chilled in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve the pie, fill the prebaked crust with the cream, then top the filling with the whipped cream, coconut, and chocolate.). The cream will thicken as it cools.

When the pastry cream is cold, pour it into the prebaked pie crust, smoothing the surface with a spatula. In an electric mixer with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla on medium speed. Gradually increase the speed to high, and whip to peaks that are firm enough to hold their shape. Spoon the whipped topping over the top of the pastry cream. Just before serving, decorate the pie with the toasted coconut and white chocolate curls.

Yield: 8 slices of a 9″ pie.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 639 calories; 41.5 g. fat; 128 mg. cholesterol; 276 mg. sodium; 57.6 g. carbohydrate; 6.3 g. fiber; 4.8 g. protein

Result: Well, there are few things worth 639 calories…but this pie is one of them! Coconut fans, this has got to be the ultimate coconut cream pie. This is a bit labor intensive (hence, I used a frozen crust) but the result is heavenly. My family loved this pie and the leftovers were dangerous to have around 🙂 Enjoy!

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 I was going to post an RD Q&A tomorrow, but I only have 2 questions 🙁 Pass along your questions (preventionrd at gmail dot com) and I will get that Q&A up soon!

Lots of meetings on the agenda today and I’m working out at the hospital’s wellness center for the first time today!

Be well,