Manageability – Not easy, but I guess “easier”.
On Easter I had a lot to deal with. I was making a full meal for 15 people, I had a gaggle of children running around my kitchen, my husband was busy getting drunk, and we were in the middle of a pandemic. So all I wanted was one freaking recipe that was “easy”. And while it’s true that The Recipe Rebel’s Easy Coconut Cream Pie is technically easier than normal coconut cream pies, any time you have to cook flour it’s a pain in the butt.
Having said that, cooking flour was the hardest thing about this recipe. It’s a pie that has to set, so depending on your tolerance that’s either annoying or easy. And y’all, I don’t know what it is about my pies but I cannot make crusts that look decent. I’m cursed. As for taste, my dad said he didn’t enjoy the texture because this recipe deliberately leaves out the coconut flakes. The “rebel” said she did that because she personally doesn’t like flakes, but apparently she’s wrong. (I wonder if that’s what makes her a rebel…) I liked it with or without flakes. I’m neutral on flakes. I’m Switzerland. And this pie was all gone by the end of the day – the rest of the family loved it.
So look, flakes or no flakes. I don’t care. Just make this pie, guy.
Ingredients
Pie crust:
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (156g)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (helps the medicine go down)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter cut into cubes
- 3-4 tablespoons cold water
Filling:
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs from large chicken
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pie crust:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt.
- Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork until you see pea-sized chunks of butter remaining.
- Gradually add in cold water, stirring each time until you can press it together.
- Form it into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes until chilled. You know, make it cold.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Roll out to fit a 9″ pie plate.
- Press into the pie plate and up the sides. Try to get as high up the sides as you can as the pie crust may shrink when it bakes. Trim the edges and crimp or leave as desired. Poke the bottom and the sides with a fork all over to help prevent puffing (or use pie weights if you have them).
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown. Set aside to cool while you make the filling. Put in a window sill like you are in a Loony Toons episode.
Filling:
- Combine coconut milk, sugar, eggs, and corn starch in a large saucepan. Whisk thoroughly until combined.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until very thick. This can take up to 10 or 15 minutes — be patient, you dope! You don’t want to increase the heat too much and risk a lumpy filling.
- Pour into cooled pie crust and press a piece of parchment paper on to the top. Refrigerate until well chilled, or overnight.
- Garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut as desired and serve to your loved ones or people you hate but are hungry.