Coconut Cream Pie

You remember WAY back when I told you about this amazing coconut syrup I waited way too long to try?  And that I finally did because I wanted to try an amazing recipe that used coconut extract?  Well, this is that recipe.  It was delicious!  I got the recipe from melskitchencafe and was not disappointed! Then when my parents came out to watch our kiddos so we could go to this amazing place:

they finished it off and raved about the it when we got home (the pie, not the trip).  It was our form of payment if you will :) So if you are a coconut lover, this pie must be part of your life!  It is delightful.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!!  The only thing I did differently was used this pie crust instead, but you can use whichever one tickles your fancy. 

Coconut Cream Pie

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 can coconut milk (can be found in the Asian foods section)

Half-and-half or heavy cream (enough to add to the coconut milk to make 3 cups)

3 egg yolks

¾ cup white sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup flaked coconut, toasted*

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 recipe graham cracker crust (below) or traditional pie crust

Fresh Whipped Cream, lightly sweetened

In a medium saucepan, combine half and half, coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Mixture will become very thick. Remove from heat, and stir in coconut extract and the vanilla extract (at this point you can also stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut, although, I prefer to use it all to garnish the top of the pie). Pour the custard into the baked and cooled pie shell and chill 2-4 hours or until firm. Top with whipped cream and the toasted coconut.

Graham Cracker Crust:

12 whole rectangular graham crackers

1 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled

3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely crush graham crackers in a food processor or in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Pour crumbs into a bowl and add sugar, stirring to combine. Drizzle butter over the top and mix with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumbs evenly in the bottom and up the sides of a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the crust is just barely beginning to brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before filling.

*To toast coconut, spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake at 325 degrees, tossing often, until lightly toasted, about 12-15 minutes.