It has been an oh so very stressful week here! An oh so very happy bridal shower weekend followed by a devastating disaster here in Boston. Thankfully all of my friends and family are safe, but it was heart breaking to hear from the families of the victims. And a lock down on Friday?!!? I couldn’t even leave my condo! I was forced to work from home, which I kind of really enjoyed.
Well, the bombing was stressful and saddening. I couldn’t talk to a person, peruse the internet, or turn on the TV without being reminded of the lives lost and people effected. In order to counteract this depression, I decided to bake and bring smiles to people’s faces, even if it was just for a minute.
I brought in my Chocolate Guinness cupcakes on Wednesday. I thought it would be a good idea, however I learned the hard way that it was a little too soon for a non-white person to take public transportation whilst carrying a container of cupcakes. Getting stopped and checked doesn’t really bother me. But the woman who screamed and harassed me followed by dirty looks from others did though. After a slight delay to regain my composure after this random lady’s attack, I made it into work and was able to spread some joy around via cupcakes.
Last weekend, I had planned on making a coconut cream pie; however I was too drained to do so, so I made it this weekend. I hope you enjoy!
Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Coconut Cream Filling
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 1/2 cup of cream of coconut*
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2-4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*if using coconut milk, use 2/3 cup sugar instead of 1/2*
Directions
Graham Cracker Crust
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare a 9″ pie dish
2. Combine graham cracker crust ingredients together and press into pie dish
3. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside
Coconut Cream Filling
1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan,bring 3/4cup milk and cream of coconut to a boil over medium heat
- be careful, the bubbles can splatter pretty high!
2. Whisk together egg yolks and the remaining sugar
3. Whisk together sugar, salt, and cornstarch
4. Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture to the eggs and whisk until smooth
- Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking as not to cook eggs
- Whisk mixture until smooth
5. Transfer the mixture into a heavy bottomed sauce pan through a strainer to separate any lumps
- Bring mixture just to a boil over medium heat
- Whisk until mixture becomes thick( about 1-2 minutes)
6. Remove from heat and pour into cooled pie crust, cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill for at least 3-4 hours
Whipped Cream Topping
1. Place mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 15 minutes
2. On medium high speed, whisk heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form
- Add more sugar if you wish for a thicker consistency
3. Pipe over the filling and garnish with toasted coconut flakes if desired
