Welcome!

Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Monday, April 14, 2014

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

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

...plop in the pie pan.
...plop in the pie pan.

All baked! Ain't it purdy?
All baked! Ain't it purdy?

The goods for the pie!
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.
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.
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.
Start the custard with the dry ingredients and the Half&Half.

Then add the tempered eggs.
Then add the tempered eggs.

Tempering....nothing's worse than scrambled eggs in a pie. Unless it's burned coconut!
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 in the coconut after the custard mixture has thickened.

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

Key Lime Bars

Since going to a tropical locale is not happening anytime soon, I decided to bring the tropics to me! Okay, so while it's not quite the same, I have to say that these little bars are fantastic! We love lemon bars so I was pretty sure these would go over well, too. IT Guy is a coconut nut so the crunch of the toasted coconut really brought it home for him! Really yummy, guys!

Key Lime Bars



1 cup shredded coconut ~ divided use
3/4 cup butter ~ cold, cut into 12 pieces
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs + 2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Key Lime juice
zest of 3 limes
1 1/2 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper then spray the paper.

Place all of coconut onto a rimmed cookie sheet and toast for 5 -10 minutes until golden brown. Watch it so it doesn't burn. Nothing worse than burned coconut!!!

In a medium bowl, place cold butter, powdered sugar, flour and 1/2 cup toasted coconut. Cut mixture together with a pastry cutter (or use a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Mix together eggs, yolks, salt, Key Lime juice, zest and sugar until well blended. Pour over partially baked crust.

Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Top with remaining coconut and continue baking for 10 more minutes.

Cool then cut into bars.


Our cast of characters.
Our cast of characters.


Toast the coconut!
Toast the coconut!


Combine the butter, flour, powdered sugar and half the coconut in a medium sized bowl.
Combine the butter, flour, powdered 
sugar and half the coconut in a medium sized bowl.


Blend to make coarse crumbs.
Blend to make coarse crumbs.


Then press into your prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
Then press into your prepared 
pan and bake for 15 minutes.


Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, key lime juice, zest and salt.
Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, 
key lime juice, zest and salt.


Pour over the partially baked crust and bake for another 15 minutes.
Pour over the partially baked crust 
and bake for another 15 minutes.


Then sprinkle the remaining coconut over the filling and bake another 10 minutes.
Then sprinkle the remaining coconut
 over the filling and bake another 10 minutes.


Cool completely before cutting.
Cool completely before cutting.


So delicious!!
So delicious!!