Pie Number Five: Coconut Cream Pie (FAILED)

The Year of Pie

Pie #5 - Coconut Cream Pie

    I am writing about this pie, even though it was a "Failure". I thought I followed the directions and while the filling tasted good in the end, it didn't set up.  I also tried to be fancy and make a specialty crust (Chocolate-Coconut), which also did not turn out.  *I can't remember which cookbook that recipe was in, but when I find it, I'll update this post.* I mean it looked pretty, but I quickly realized when I took it out of the refrigerator to fill, that it was not going to work.  It had melted, unsweetened chocolate, sugar and coconut as the main ingredients, so was just solid chocolate and coconut. In the long run, I scraped the hardened coconut mixture out of the pan and sprinkled on top of a large bowl of the filling and served it as "Deconstructed Coconut Cream Pie" over pound cake.  While it did not look real appetizing, at least it tasted really good. Think "German Chocolate" or Mounds candy bars.  I do believe I will try again later.  You are welcome to try this recipe. which is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. My copy is a thirteenth edition of this book which was originally published in 1896.  I hope it turns out for you and if you have any suggestions on why my filling may not have "set up", I'd love to hear them. 

Ingredients:

Baked 9-inch pie shell

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

3 egg yolks, slightly beaton

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Combine sugar, flour and salt in a saucepan, stirring the in the milk slowly. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add egg yolks and cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Cool for about fifteen minutes, then pour into pie shell. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

*Since my filling didn't thicken and the fancy crust didn't turn out, I mixed some of the hardened chocolate and coconut into the cream filling and spooned it over sliced poundcake, making "Deconstructed Coconut Cream Pie". 

Deconstructed Coconut Cream Pie