Coconut Cocoa Cream Pie
This is another perfect marriage of flavors: Coconut, Cocoa and Cream. The inside is a traditional Coconut Cream pie filling but inbetween the crust and cream filling is a thin layer of melted chocolate and then the entire delight is topped with cocoa whipping cream!
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil (this is solid like butter available in a health food store)
1 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
2. Roll out the pie crust dough, place in a pie pan, flute the edges and then prick the bottom with a fork (so that it won't puff up)
3. Bake your pie crust in a preheated 475 degree oven for 8 to 10 mintues.
4. IMPORTANT: You must allow this crust to fully cool before filling.
5. In a medium size sauce pan - stir the sugar, corn starch and salt until mixed.
6. Into the saucepan - slowly pour in the milk - stirring all the time.
7. Place the pan on the stove over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring all the time.
8. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
9. In a different bowl - lightly whisk the egg yolks.
10. ALSO IMPORTANT: You will add 1/3 of the hot milk/cornstarch liquid (that you just brought to a boil) into the bowl with the egg yolks (you must stir all the time. This will avoid any stringy cooked egg yolk) (see the picture below on the left)
11. Now you can add this egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the hot liquid without worrying about any stringy eggs (again stirring all the time).
12. Return the saucepan to the heat and boil for 1 minute (stirring) - see the picture below on the right.
13. Remove from the heat and turn off the burner.
14. Stir in the vanilla, butter, coconut oil & coconut flakes until the butter & coconut oil are totally melted (see picture below)
15. Allow this filling to cool for 10 minutes.
16. Melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of butter or coconut oil. Spread (or brush) this melted mixture onto the inside of the pie crust (as seen below). Allow the chocolate to harden in the freezer for 5 minutes.
17. Now pour the coconut cream mixture into the pie crust on top of the thin chocolate layer (this thin chocolate layer is my mom's genius creation)
18. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour (I always place toothpicks in the cream filling before covering with the plastic wrap -
that way when you take the cover off- it won't take 1/2 the filling with it)
Now for the final step - the Cocoa Cream topping
Cocoa Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/8 cup powdered sugar
19. Using an electric mixer - Start whipping the cream and half way through (before it is fully whipped) add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and continue whipping until stiff.
20. Now remove the pie from the fridge, Take the plastic cover and the toothpicks out and then spread the top with the whipped Cocoa Cream.
Slice and ENJOY!
