Light Coconut Cream Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract. Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie.
• Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours.
• Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt over a medium heat; gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from heat.
• Place a strainer over a clean mixing bowl; set aside.
• Beat the egg yolks slightly. Gradually pour 1 cup of the hot custard mixture into yolks, whisking constantly. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and bring the entire mixture to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes before removing the pan from heat. Immediately pour custard through the strainer.
• Stir butter, vanilla, and coconut into the hot mixture. Pour the hot filling into the baked pie crust. Cool and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 4 to 5 times until the dough forms a ball. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.)
• Transfer the dough to a work surface. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift the sides of the parchment to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
• For the filling: Whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the milk and the cornstarch in a medium bowl until smooth and well combined. Stir together the remaining 3/4 cup milk, the half-and-half, sugar and kosher salt in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until barely simmering. Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring the hot milk and cream into the egg yolks while continuing to whisk. Pour the custard back into the pan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is very thick and smooth, about 5 minutes; it will be the consistency of a pudding. (If the filling has scrambled a bit, or doesn't look smooth, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl before adding the coconut.) Stir in the butter until melted, then stir in the vanilla and shredded coconut. Spread the filling into the cooled pie crust. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pie and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
• For the meringue: Add the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and kosher salt to the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture feels very hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to completely cover the filling and meet the crust all around the edges. (This will completely seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Use the offset spatula to form swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling. Sprinkle all over with toasted coconut and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium sized saucepan.
• Pour in milk and whisk constantly over medium high heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Separate eggs. Place yolks in a small bowl and whites in a large metal mixing bowl. Set whites aside. Beat yolks slightly with a fork. Pour in a tablespoon of hot mixture into yolks. Return to hot mixture. Cook and stir over medium high heat for 2 minutes longer.
• Remove from heat. Stir in butter and the teaspoon of vanilla. Mix well. Stir in the one cup of coconut.
• Pour into cooled pie shell.
• For the meringue:.
• Beat the 3 egg whites with the 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Spread over pie, being sure to seal edges with meringue. Sprinkle the 1/3 cup of flaked coconut over.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes or until meringue is nicely browned.
• Cool, refrigerate and serve.
• 6 to 8 servings.

Steps:

• Place powdered sugar, cool whip, cream cheese and extract in mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Spread in pie shell, covering sides as well as the bottom.
• Beat until well blended and then pour on top of cream cheese layer. Sit aside to firm up.
• Spread coconut on cookie sheet and toast lightly in oven (watch carefully and stir if necessary) - let cool.
• Mix extract into cool whip. Layer over pie filling. Add toasted coconut to top. Refrigerate and enjoy a most decadent dessert.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling., Finely grate, peel and squeeze juice from limes; place both in a blender. Add 1 cup coconut, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, flour, salt and, if desired, extract. Cover and process until blended. Add remaining 1 cup coconut; cover and pulse just until combined. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate (pie will be full)., Bake on a lower oven rack 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack; refrigerate until cold., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Spread over pie. Sprinkle with toasted coconut before serving.

Steps:

• For the crust:
• Pulse salt, sugar, and 1 1/4 cups flour in a food processor until well combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining, about 10 seconds. With the motor running, add 1/4 cup ice water and process until dough just holds together, about 30 seconds. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers; if it's very crumbly, add more ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time (2 Tbsp. maximum), and process to combine (do not overprocess).
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a rough ball. Knead a few times, then roll into a ball. Flatten ball to a disc with smooth edges (no cracks), cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Position rack in bottom of oven; preheat to 350°F. Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13" round. Wrap dough loosely around floured rolling pin, then release into pie pan. Lift up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish. Trim edges to leave a 1" overhang and crimp as desired. Freeze dough at least 15 minutes or chill, covered, up to 24 hours.
• Line crust with parchment or foil and fill with baking beans or weights. Bake crust, rotating halfway through, 20 minutes. Remove weights, pierce bottom of crust all over with a fork, and continue to bake until very light brown and dry, about 10 minutes more. Let cool.
• Make the filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut flakes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring once or twice, until golden brown and fragrant, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
• Heat 1 3/4 cups milk in a small saucepan until almost boiling. Add 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut, stir, and cover. Let steep 1 hour. (Now would be a great time to roll out and bake the pie crust.)
• Strain toasted-coconut milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan; discard solids (you should have about 1 1/2 cups milk; add more milk if necessary). Add canned coconut milk and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
• Pour remaining 3/4 cup cold milk into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Let sit 10 minutes. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add gelatin mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Whisking constantly, slowly pour half of the coconut milk mixture in a thin stream into egg mixture. (A wet towel under bowl with egg mixture will help stabilize it.) Pour everything back into saucepan and heat over medium-high. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and starts to bubble, then continue to cook about 1 minute more so it doesn't taste starchy.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean large bowl. Add butter and vanilla and stir to combine. Press plastic wrap against surface of mixture and chill until cool, 2 1/2-3 hours. (You can speed up the process by stirring from time to time or placing bowl with filling in a large bowl of ice water.)
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to medium peaks in a medium bowl. Working in 3 batches, gently fold cream into pie filling until just incorporated. Sprinkle half of the remaining toasted coconut into bottom of prepared pie shell. Carefully spoon filling over coconut, mounding it in the middle and making decorative swirls with the back of a spoon. Chill at least 2 more hours to set.
• When ready to serve, garnish pie with remaining toasted coconut.
• Do Ahead
• Pie can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill.