Coconut Cream Pie With Coconut Meringue
INGREDIENTS – Filling:
1 Basic Egg & Lemon Juice Pie Crust (9-inch), baked, cooled
5 large EGG yolks
2 ½ cups sweetened coconut milk beverage
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut
DIRECTIONS – Filling:
1.) HEAT oven to 325°F. FILLING: BEAT egg yolks in medium bowl; gradually STIR IN coconut milk until blended. MIX sugar, corn starch and salt in large heavy saucepan. GRADUALLY stir in egg yolk mixture until blended.
2.) COOK over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, 10 to 15 minutes. BOIL and stir 1 minute. REMOVE from heat immediately. STIR IN vanilla and coconut.
INGREDIENTS – Meringue:
5 large EGG whites, room temperature
1 Tbsp corn starch
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ cup flaked coconut, for finishing
DIRECTIONS – Meringue:
1.) DISSOLVE corn starch in cold water in one-cup glass measure. MICROWAVE on HIGH 30 seconds; stir. MICROWAVE until mixture boils, 15 to 30 seconds longer. Remove; cover.
2.) BEAT egg whites and cream of tartar in mixer bowl with whisk attachment on high speed until foamy. Beating constantly, ADD sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is dissolved before adding the next. Continue beating until whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks. Beating constantly, ADD corn starch paste, 1 to 2 Tbsp. at a time. BEAT in vanilla.
DIRECTIONS – PIE ASSEMBLY/FINISHING:
POUR hot filling into pie crust. Quickly SPREAD meringue evenly over filling, starting at edge and sealing to crust all around; swirl with back of spoon. SPRINKLE with 1/4 cup coconut. BAKE in upper third of 325°F oven until lightly browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack 1 hour, then refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.
INSIDER TIPS:
— What’s a soft peak? To check for soft peaks, stop the mixer and lift the beater. The peaks left in the meringue should curl at the tips. If the peaks stand straight and tall (stiff peaks), the meringue has been overbeaten.
— Anchor the meringue. Be sure to attach the meringue to the crust all around the edge of the pie. This prevents the meringue from pulling away from the edge during baking.
— Refrigerate any leftover pie promptly.
