Recipe: Coconut Custard Pie

Techniques used: Rolling Out Pie Crust, Tempering, Folding

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Pie dough:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons cold shortening, cut into small cubes

3 to 4 ½ tablespoons ice water

Additional flour for rolling

The filling:

1 cup coconut milk

2 cups milk

1 cup sugar, divided

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

6 egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons rum

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, unsweetened coconut, toasted and cooled

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons sugar

1. To make the pie dough: Mix together the flour and salt in a bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and shortening, and work it into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry blender or pulse in the food processor until the mixture resembles fresh breadcrumbs. Sprinkle in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring lightly with a fork or pulsing after each addition. Use enough water so the dough holds together.

2. Form the dough into a ball and flatten the top to form a disk. Wrap the dough completely in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8-inch-thick and 2 inches larger in diameter than your inverted pie pan.

4. Transfer the dough to the pan, then trim edges to make about a 1-inch overhang. Roll the edge under and crimp decoratively. Chill for at least 20 minutes before baking.

5. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425.

6. When ready to bake, line the pie dough with a piece of aluminum foil shiny-side down. Fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and beans. (The beans and rice can be reserved for other blind baking needs, but once they have been used in blind baking, they cannot be eaten.) Return the pie shell to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes longer, rotating the pan a couple of times, until evenly browned. Set aside to cool.

7. To make the filling: In a large saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, milk, 3/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla bean seeds and pod, and scald over medium heat. When you see small bubbles around the sides, remove pot from the heat and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Then discard the vanilla bean pod and seeds.

8. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch, rum and salt until well combined. Pour about 1 cup of the milk mixture into a liquid measuring cup, and in a very slow and steady stream, gradually whisk the hot liquid into the eggs to temper the mixture. Then, whisk the egg mixture back into the remaining milk on the stove and, continuing to whisk, heat until the whisk makes clear lines across the thickened custard, the mixture coats the whisk and it starts to boil in large bubbles. Pour into a clean bowl, and whisk in 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut and the cold butter until melted and combined.

9. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. When cooled, place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight

10. When ready to assemble pie, whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Fold half of the whipped cream into the custard and spread into pie shell. Pipe the remaining whipped cream decoratively over the top, and garnish with remaining toasted coconut. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.