Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Pie crust (Use your favorite pie crust recipe or store-bought)
• 3 cups Milk
• 0.75 cup Sugar
• 0.25 cup Cornstarch
• 0.25 teaspoon Salt
• 3 Egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups Shredded coconut (Divided; 1 cup for filling, 0.5 cup for topping)
• 1 cup Heavy whipping cream (For topping (optional))
• 2 tablespoons Powdered sugar (For topping (optional))

Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare your pie crust according to your recipe or package instructions. Blind bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool completely.
2. 2In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a simmer. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
3. 3In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. 4Stir in 1 cup of shredded coconut. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until completely set.
5. 5In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the pie. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. Toast the coconut lightly with a kitchen torch or under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.