Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Mrs. Rowe’s original coconut cream pie
Lindsey Nair
Front Burner blog
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Recipes
Mrs. Rowe’s original coconut cream pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
One pie crust, prebaked in a 9-inch pie pan
3 egg yolks (you can reserve the whites for the meringue)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
3 cups milk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 recipe for Mrs. Rowe’s meringue (below)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Stir together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and just enough of the water to make a smooth paste. Heat the milk in a double boiler set over simmering water. When the milk begins to steam, gradually whisk in the egg mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut, the butter and the vanilla.
3. Pour the filling into the crust and top with the meringue, sealing the edges well. Sprinkle the remaining coconut over the meringue.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown and firm to the careful touch (it’s easy to poke a hole in it). Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before slicing. Serve the pie at room temperature or, for a special treat, warm in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
Mrs. Rowe’s meringue
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3 Tbsp. sugar
Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a chilled bowl and beat with an electric mixer on slow to medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating on slow to medium speed until the whites form stiff peaks but are not dry. The meringue is now ready to pile lightly over a pie.
Source: “Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pies,” by Mollie Cox Bryan
