Delicious boozy coconut cream pie recipe
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp flour
- for the topping:
- 1 pre-baked pie crust
- 1 c half and half
- 2 c full fat coconut milk
- 2/3 plus 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp brandy
- 1 c coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened)
- 2 c heavy cream very cold
- 3-5 tbsp powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like)
- 1 tbsp brandy
- 1/2-3/4 c toasted coconut chips (i used dang coconut chips)
- Carbohydrate 7.2629260036756 g
- Cholesterol 119.548625059301 mg
- Fat 18.0286612669141 g
- Fiber 0.0196416661825048 g
- Protein 2.76565191851937 g
- Saturated Fat 10.891048343872 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (88g)
- Sodium 48.2138333689997 mg
- Sugar 7.2432843374931 g
- Trans Fat 0.956414984224077 g
- Calories 204 calories
Step-by-step
- Bake your pie crust and let cool completely if making your own.
- To make the custard in a medium sauce pan combine the half and half, 1½ cups of the coconut milk, the sugar and salt. Stir over medium low heat until steaming and hot
- In a medium bowl ( 3-4 c size bowl) whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, flour and remaining ½ c of coconut milk until well combined.
- While whisking the yolk mixture slowly add in â…“ of a cup of the headed coconut milk mixture to temper the eggs. Once about a cup or so is whisked in pour it into the sauce pan. Stir the entire mixture slowly with a spatula until it thickens. It will be like a thick custard or pudding. Strain into another bowl, to get rid of any cooked egg pieces, then add in the coconut flakes. Stir and let cool for 30 min. Add in the vanilla extract and brandy then place plastic wrap over the bowl and press gently so it touches the top of the custard. Chill completely, 3-4 hours up to overnight before filling the pie crust.
- Fill the pie crust with the chilled custard and keep chilled while preparing the topping
- In a cold bowl, I like to use a cold stainless bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Add in the powdered sugar, the vanilla and brandy. Start with three tablespoons of the powdered sugar then add more if a sweeter whipped cream is desired
- Spread about 1 cup of the cream over the pie, then fill a pastry bag fitted with a giant open star tip with the rest and pipe a swirled design around the edges of the pie. Sprinkle the center of the pie with the toasted coconut and serve. You can always wrap in plastic wrap and keep chilled before serving. Don’t add on the toasted coconut chips until ready to serve as they will soften in the refrigerator.
Standard recipes rarely account for the thermal threshold where cornstarch loses its thickening power, yet boiling starch-based mixtures for a full minute after thickening cooks out the raw taste entirely. Historically, cream pies trace back to the nineteenth-century development of flavored puddings cooled inside pastry shells, though adding distilled spirits introduces a functional purpose beyond flavor. Alcohol lowers the freezing point of the custard, yielding a softer, silkier mouthfeel when served cold from the refrigerator.
Mastering the Custard Base
Tempering hot liquid into cold egg yolks requires steady whisking to prevent premature coagulation. Pouring roughly three-quarters of a cup of the heated half-and-half and coconut milk mixture into the starch-and-yolk bowl slowly raises the temperature safely. Straining the finished mixture through a fine-mesh sieve catches any stray bits of cooked egg before the coconut flakes go in. Pressing plastic wrap directly against the surface of the warm custard prevents a tough skin from forming during its three-to-four-hour chilling window.
Whipping and Assembly
Metal bowls retain cold temperatures far better than glass or ceramic counterparts, which helps heavy cream trap air efficiently. Soft peaks should hold their shape gently without turning grainy or separating into butter. Adding toasted coconut chips just prior to serving preserves their crisp texture against moisture absorption from the whipped cream layer.
