IT Guy's Favorite Coconut Cream Pie

If I want to make IT Guy happy....if I want to see him smile REAL big...all I have to tell him is that I'm going to make him a coconut cream pie. He's putty in my hands!! (Insert evil laugh here.) This is BY FAR the BEST coconut cream pie I've ever had. I've tried LOTS of different recipes but have never had one as yummy as this one. If you've got a coconut cream pie lover in your house...make 'em happy and make THIS!

IT Guy's Coconut Cream Pie




1 recipe of Christie's Pie Dough - Click HERE for the recipe

For custard:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch salt
2 cups Half&Half
6 eggs - divided, whites reserved for meringue
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cup coconut - toasted, divided

Prepare pie dough and place in a 9-inch pie pan. Prick crust thoroughly and prebake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. (A secret.....I sprinkle about 2 - 3 tablespoons of sugar over the raw crust before baking...just to give it a little extra "something".)

In a large medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add in the Half&Half. Heat until thick but do not boil. In a small bowl, stir the egg yolks with a little bit of the hot custard mixture to temper the eggs. Once it is warm enough, add the egg/custard mixture back to the saucepan and heat until thick and just beginning to bubble. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and butter. Stir in 1 cup toasted coconut. Pour into the cooled, baked shell. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Top with sweetened whipped cream or meringue made from the reserved whites. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup toasted coconut.

I roll out my pie dough between plastic wrap. Easy clean up and....

...it helps to make it easy to....

...plop in the pie pan.

All baked! Ain't it purdy?

The goods for the pie!

Spread the coconut onto a lined cookie sheet. 

Broil in on low until the coconut starts to turn light brown.

You have to watch it! Nothing's worse than burned coconut! Stir it around while it's cooking to make sure it all gets some toastiness on it.

Start the custard with the dry ingredients and the Half&Half.

Then add the tempered eggs.

Tempering....nothing's worse than scrambled eggs in a pie. Unless it's burned coconut!

Stir in the coconut after the custard mixture has thickened.

Stir it all up and....

..pour it in the pie shell. Top with a layer of plastic wrap. Lay it right on the hot filling. It will come right off after it chills. I promise.

Look!! Yummy, yes? (Toast the meringue for a few minutes in the oven....about 375 for 10 minutes or so.)