Coconut Cream Pie

If you love coconut, you will love this pie. It is almost a triple coconut pie - Coconut Milk and flaked coconut are in the filling, plus toasted coconut on top. Cool and creamy, this makes a delicious Summertime dessert.

Coconut Cream Pie:
For the crust, you can use a Flaky Pie Crust (as shown in the picture), but I usually prefer a Graham Cracker Crust for cream pies, because cracker crusts do not have to be baked like a flaky crust does. For coconut cream pie, you could use Vanilla wafers or Ritz crackers instead of Graham crackers if you'd like. Just remember to add more or less sugar depending on how sweet your crumbs are.

Filling:
1 cup sugar (or you can start with 3/4 cup and add more as you go - this pie is very sweet)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 Cups (one 14oz can) Coconut milk (NOT coconut water or Crème de Coco - plain Coconut milk is usually in the international foods aisle of your grocery store, it is used in Asian recipes)
3 egg yolks
1/4 Cup flaked coconut, (plus a little more for garnishing later)

In the top of a double boiler combine the sugar, flour, salt, and coconut milk. Stir the mixture in the bowl while the water boils beneath it, cooking for about 12-14 minutes until the mixture thickens (In the first five minutes it doesn't seem to get thicker, but once it starts to thicken, it goes quickly. Make sure to stir it frequently and scrape the sides with a plastic spatula). Remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Take a small amount of the hot milk/flour mixture (about a tablespoon) and stir it into the eggs. Add another spoonful and stir it in (you are "tempering" the eggs so they don't cook and curdle). Now pour the egg mixture into the rest of the hot milk mix. Return it to the double boiler and cook until thickened some more (about 3 more minutes) stirring constantly. Take it off the heat.

Now let it cool a bit. I place a layer of plastic wrap over the top to prevent the usual "pudding crust." You can stick the filling in the fridge or freezer to help it chill faster, just remember to take it out and stir it occasionally. When the filling has cooled, pour it into the pie shell. Then return it to the fridge to for another hour to make sure it is well-chilled before topping it with whipped cream. Keep it in the fridge when not serving.

Fresh Whipped Cream Topping:
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, depending on how sweet you want it
Optional: 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Make sure the cream is well-chilled, (I even chill the mixing bowl and beaters when I make whipped cream). Beat the cream with a wire whisk (or electric mixer with the whisk attachment on high) until it is thicker and can form soft peaks. Add in the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until very thick and can form stiff peaks. Spread it over the chilled pie and garnish with toasted coconut:

Spread 2 Tablespoons coconut flakes onto an ungreased cookie sheet and put in the oven at 350 degrees. Watch the coconut carefully, it only takes a few minutes to brown. You can choose how brown you want it. I usually only leave it in there for 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Put the pie back in the fridge until serving.

Cut this with a very sharp knife dipped in hot water. Clean the knife with a towel between slices to keep it neat.

About Cream Pies

Cream Pies are wonderful in the Summer not only because they are cool and tasty to eat, but because you don't have to turn on your oven to make them! Some pie lovers don't consider cream pie a true pie, but I won't argue the technicalities - I'd rather just eat some pie.

At its most basic, cream pie is a thick, creamy filling (usually made with thickened milk) topped with whipped cream. There are endless varieties you can make with any basic recipe by adding different flavoring agents. My own cream pie recipe is adapted from an old edition of The Joy of Cooking, and I have made several different flavors based on the original. Here is my basic Cream Pie recipe, followed by some of the cream pie variations I have made (with links to the recipes).


Basic Cream Pie:
1 recipe Graham Cracker Crust, using whichever type of cookie or cracker will best fit your filling (you could use vanilla wafers, chocolate cookies, Ritz crackers, etc.)

Filling:
1 cup sugar (or you can start with 3/4 cup and add more as you go - this pie is very sweet)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 Cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In the top of a double boiler combine the sugar, flour, salt, and milk. Stir the mixture in the bowl while the water boils beneath it, cooking for about 10-12 minutes until the mixture thickens (In the first five minutes it doesn't seem to get thicker, but once it starts to thicken, it goes quickly. Make sure to stir it frequently and scrape the sides with a plastic spatula). Thickening time depends on how cold your milk is to start with. It can take up to 14 minutes to get nice and thick like a pudding. Once it is thickened, remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Take a small amount of the hot milk/flour mixture (about a teaspoon at first) and stir it into the eggs. Add another spoonful and stir it in (you are "tempering" the eggs so they don't cook and curdle). After mixing in a few spoonfuls, pour the egg mixture into the rest of the hot milk mix. Return it to the double boiler and cook until thickened some more (about 3 more minutes) stirring constantly. Take it off the heat.

Stir in the vanilla extract to the filling mixture. Now let it cool a bit. I place a layer of plastic wrap over the top to prevent the usual "pudding crust." You can stick the filling in the fridge to help it chill faster.  When the filling has cooled, pour it into the pie shell. Then return it to the fridge to for another hour to make sure it is well-chilled before topping it with whipped cream. Keep it in the fridge when not serving.

Fresh Whipped Cream Topping:
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, depending on how sweet you want it
Optional: 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Make sure the cream is well-chilled, (I even chill the mixing bowl and beaters when I make whipped cream). Beat the cream by hand with a wire whisk, or use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment on high. When the cream is thicker and can form soft peaks, add in the sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until it is very thick and can form stiff peaks. Spread it over the chilled pie.

Keep the pie back in the fridge until serving.

Cut this with a very sharp knife dipped in hot water. Clean the knife with a towel between slices to keep it neat.

Coconut Cream Pie

Cappuccino Pie

 

 Maple Cream Pie

 

 

 Banana Cream Pie

Milk Chocolate Cream Pie

 

Butterscotch Pie

(Yes, this one has meringue in the picture, but it is the exact

same recipe I use for Butterscotch Cream Pie, I just

put whipped cream on top instead of meringue.)

 

 

 

Eggnog Pie (ugly picture, but super-tasty pie!)

Recipe Review - Alton Brown's Angel Food Cake

 

After making this recipe several times, I decided to write a review of Alton Brown's Angel Food Cake. Mainly because I wanted to put this cake on my blog but since it isn't my recipe I felt like I really needed to give credit where it is due.

 

Here is my review of Alton Brown's Angel Food Cake recipe: It is incredibly good, and you should make it. Done. Okay, I am just kidding. But really, that is it in a nutshell. This recipe has come out great every time I've made it. The cake is incredibly light and moist, delicate and slightly springy. The best part is that Alton Brown's recipe is very easy to follow for anyone who has never made an Angel Food Cake from scratch. Most of Alton Brown's recipes are like that - he spells it out for you as if you are making a particular food for the first time. Anyway, this cake is not only easy to make, but you can change up the flavor a bit by replacing the vanilla with a touch of orange or lemon extract. Serve it alone or topped with fresh berries and whipped cream. 

 

There are three keys to success with any Angel Food cake: 1) After beating the egg whites, sift the dry ingredients over the beaten egg whites and fold in very gently, adding a little at a time. 2) Bake in an ungreased tube pan - this helps the cake "climb" the walls of the pan and gain height. 3) Cool the cake upside down. This is why tube pans have a long center support and sometimes have little "legs" on them. Angel food cakes and chiffon cakes should be cooled upside down to maintain the height and lightness while cooling.

 

So, on we go to this wonderful recipe. I thought the Food Network might not appreciate bloggers posting their recipes, so I am going to link back to the recipe on their site. Here you go:

Alton Brown Angel Food Cake Recipe

Strawberry Dessert Festival!

 

I recently learned about the Mass Farmer's Markets 6th Annual Strawberry Dessert Festival, and I wonder how I never knew about it before! From June 7th through July 7th 2013, eateries throughout Massachusetts will use fresh local strawberries to create fabulous desserts, donating a percentage of those profits to Mass Farmers Markets. This organization's mission is to partner with farmers, consumers, and communities to promote and sustain farmers market in Massachusetts. Local Farmers Markets improve regional farm viability, consumer nutrition, and community social and economic development. If you live in Massachusetts and want to learn more or see a list of participating eateries, here is a link: 2013 Strawberry Dessert Festival

 

 

Why should you use farm-fresh seasonal strawberries?  Because they taste better! Since they come from local farms, these strawberries can be picked at the peak of ripeness and driven to you within a day or two of picking. Berries from the grocery store usually travel a LONG way to get to you, meaning that they must be picked before their peak ripeness to avoid spoilage. Look at how red and ripe these local berries look:

 

 

 

 

Now how about some great recipes to use those fresh strawberries? Here are some of my own tried-and-true Strawberry Desserts below. Just click on the links to get the recipe:

 

Summer Strawberry Shortcake is one recipe where it really is important to use the best, freshest strawberries possible. Local fruit from your Farmers Market is the best, because you know you are getting the freshest, ripest strawberries around, which really makes a difference in this dessert.

 

 

Real Strawberry Cake is made from scratch using pureed strawberries

and topped with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

 

 

 Pair strawberries with dark sweet cherries for this tempting Cherry Berry Pie

 

 

If you have some great recipes using fresh seasonal strawberries, I would love to know about them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maple Cinnamon Rolls

 

A touch of maple makes these cinnamon rolls just a little different. If you can get your hands on Maple Sugar, replace 1/4 cup of the brown sugar in the filling with maple sugar for an even stronger maple flavor. These cinnamon rolls can be made the night before and the second rising done overnight in the fridge. Then all you have to do the next morning is bake them!

 

 

Dough:

4 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup butter, melted

3 eggs

 

Filling:

1/4 Cup Real Maple Syrup

3/4 Cup Brown sugar (or 1/2 Cup brown + 1/4 Cup Maple Sugar)

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Optional: 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans

 

Maple Cream Icing:

1 1/4 Cups Confectioner's Sugar

2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon real maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

 

To make the dough:

 

Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

 

Heat the milk in the microwave until warm but not hot (in my microwave, one minute is good if the milk is straight from the fridge). Stir the melted butter into the milk. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Gradually stir the milk into the eggs, beating lightly with a fork to combine.

 

Add the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until well-combined. Turn out onto a well-floured board and knead for about eight minutes, until it feels smooth and elastic and is no longer super-sticky to the touch.  (If you prefer, you can use your KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment for the mixing and kneading. This usually takes less time than doing it by hand, so check it and feel the dough after 5 minutes to see if it is ready.)

 

Place the dough ball in a greased mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap (but don't create a an air-tight seal with the wrap). Let sit in a warm place for about an hour and fifteen minutes, until it has approximately doubled in bulk.

 

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured board. Pat it into a rectangle, about 10x14 inches.

 

For the filling:
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Brush the maple syrup onto the dough and then sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the top, making sure to cover the whole rectangle.

 

 

 

Starting on the wider (longer) side, roll the dough into itself firmly, forming a log:

 

Cut into 12 pieces about 1 inch wide (you may get more depending on long your

log is and how thick you cut your slices):

 

Place your cinnamon rolls in a greased 9x13 pan. They should be close to each other but not crowded. Usually 12 is all you can fit in a 9x13 pan without crowding. (You can bake any extra pieces in a separate smaller pan.)

 

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for another hour to an hour and a half, until they have again doubled.

 

-OR-

 

Put them in the fridge overnight. (If you do this method, be sure to pull them out in the morning before you preheat your oven. They will need 20-30 minutes at room temp before baking.

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

Icing:

Mix together the confectioner's sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup, and maple extract. Stir until all lumps are dissolved.

 

When you pull the cinnamon rolls out of the oven, spread the icing over them while they are still very warm.

 

Serve warm. These are best eaten the same day they are made. If there are any leftover, you can reheat them on half power in the microwave and they will still be reasonably good the next day.

 

Enjoy!