Coconut Cream Pie
Source: Marilyn
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks; beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups coconut
9-inch baked pastry shell
Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add milk, butter and egg yolks. Cook until thick, stirring and beating constantly (low heat). Add vanilla and 1 cup coconut. Pour into baked pie shell. Top with meringue (Meringue That Won't Weep). Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut over top. Bake at 400° for 8 to 10 minutes.
*Use this for Banana Cream Pie; omit coconut, layer pudding alternately with sliced banana in baked pastry shell and top with meringue. Bake at 400° for 8 to 10 minutes.
Meringue That Won't Weep
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
3 egg whites (room temperature)
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons sugar
Cook together until clear; cornstarch, sugar and water; cool. Add egg whites which have been beaten with salt until foamy and stands in peaks. Continue beating until creamy then add 6 tablespoons sugar, gradually, beating until very creamy. Pile on pie and bake until golden brown at 325°. Cool away from drafts. (One pie.)
**Cream of tarter stabilized the egg whites.
Single Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Crisco butter shortening
3 1/2 tablespoons ice water
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is the size of small peas. Sprinkle ice cold water over mixture one tablespoon at a time while tossing with a fork. Add water until dough holds together. Form dough into a ball; flatten to 1/2-inch on a lightly floured surface; smooth edges being careful to not overwork the dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll (from the center of the circle out) to a circle 1-inch larger than inverted pie plate, using a lightly flour rolling pin. Fold pastry in half; transfer to pie plate releasing air bubbles from under it. Brush inside with egg wash.
If baking pie crust without filling, fill with dry navy beans. Bake until golden at 375°. Remove beans, cool and fill as desired. (Keeps crust from shrinking).