Oh the cream pie!

Growing up we always got a Chocolate Cream Pie from Days Bakery, an old fashioned German bakery in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. There was a major gap in my cream pie eating until M.Wells came along and the lovely pastry chef reignited my passion. Coconut Cream Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Maple Cream Pie. If it has a creamy pudding topped with heavy whipped cream frosting on a pastry crust it's as good as gone.
While up at Lake Hopatcong, we were trying to figure out dessert for New Year's Eve. Eureka! Coconut Cream Pie! I picked the easiest recipe I could find. It isn't the quickest because this pie isn't baked so it has to solidify in the fridge for about 4 hours before you can smother it in more cream. All we had to do all day was look at birds, so no rush.
I like recipes that call for you to add everything and mix. My banana bread recipe is the same. And it was the first time I ever have made a homemade pudding! Super duper easy and the boxed kind we had in the pantry was from 1988. I only eat expired food from the 90s. I have class! 
I think we could have let it solidify a bit longer than we did on the stovetop because it didn't do much more solidifying in the fridge. It was more like a spoon pie, but it didn't matter, it was delicious. I may try some corn starch next time.
The recipe calls for frozen whipped topping, but make the real thing! (Just some heavy cream, sugar and a little vanilla.) Next time, I'll add some coconut flavor to the pudding as well, because other than the toasted coconut flakes, it wasn't very coconut flavored, but it's so creamy and perfect and addictive it didn't matter that much.
I also might try to make my own pie crust. I know! The frozen ones are pretty good though and so easy. Just make sure you bake it and let it cool before you add the pudding. We forgot until it was time to pour in the pudding, but it didn't really matter. 
Stay tuned: next cream pie will be Banana Cream Pie! I am loving the cream pies.


Coconut Cream Pie, adapted from Carol H. recipe at All Recipes.com

• Filling:
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

• 
  
• 1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
• 
  
• Topping:
• 1 containter heavy cream
• 1/4 C. sugar or less (I prefer no sugar in my whipped cream.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Start by pre-baking then cooling your pie shell.

In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly until pudding-like in texture. Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the vanilla extract. 

Pour into pre-baked pie shell and chill 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.

To make your topping beat heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until desired consistency. Top pie with whipped cream, then sprinkle the rest 1/4C of toasted coconut on top.

To toast coconut, spread it in an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.