Coconut Pie

Ingredients for pie crust:

All purpose flour: 1 and 1/4 cup,

White sugar- 1 tsp,
Cold butter- 6 tbsp or 85 gms,
Cold shortening diced- 2 tbsp,
Cold water - 3 to 4 tbsp.

Ingredients for filling:
Dry coconut - 1 and 1/2 cup ( shredded or flaked - one cup for filling and 1/2 cup for topping),
Unsweetened coconut milk- 1 and 1/2 cup or 360 ml,
Whole milk- 1 cup or 240 ml - divided,
Egg yolk- 4,
White sugar- 2/3 cup or 140 gms,
Cornstarch- 1/4 cup or 35 gms,
Salted butter- 2 tbsp ( diced ),
Vanilla- 1 tbsp.

Pie crust:
 
In a bowl place flour and sugar.
Mix with wire whisk.
Add cold butter and shortening.
If you have a food processor ,process until combined and the mixture is crumbly.
Pour cold water one spoon at a time ,just until the dough is moistened and starts to clump together .

It should not be a solid ball.
You can use your hand and make this dough.
Crush the butter with fingers in the flour and mix with the dough until crumbly and then add cold water to make it a crumbly dough( clumped together when pinched ).

Turn the dough out on to the counter and gather into a ball.

Flatten into a 5 inch disc and cover with a plastic wrap.

Put the disc for 30 minutes in the fridge or until firm enough to roll.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry to fit 8 inch or 9 inch pie pan.

When the pastry is rolled to the desired size ,lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin ,and unroll onto the top of your pie pan.
Lightly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Fold the edges inside and flute them.

Cover and chill for 15 minutes in the freezer while you pre heat the oven to 
425 F or 225 C
Remove the pie crust from the freezer and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork.

Put the pie crust on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce the temperature  to 375 F or 190 C and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until the pastry is dry and lightly browned.
Remove from oven and seal the crust with lightly beaten egg white with a pinch of salt.

Let the crust cool.

Coconut dry roast :
Lightly  dry roast the shredded coconut in the oven ( 180 C)
Keep tossing the coconut in the oven ,so that it is evenly roasted.

The flakes will turn light brown ,then remove from oven.

Keep aside to cool.

Coconut filling:
In a heat proof bowl,whisk egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup milk.

In another small bowl whisk together sugar with the cornstarch.

Add the sugar to the egg yolk milk mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a medium size saucepan,bring milk ( minus 1/4 cup -60 ml) and coconut milk just to boil ( bubbles form around the outside edge of saucepan).

When the milk just starts to boil,remove from heat and whisking constantly to prevent the edges from cooking ,slowly add the whole hot milk to the egg mixture.

Keep whisking.
Pour the milk mixture back to the saucepan and put on low heat,whisking constantly with a rubber spatulla.

Cook until boiling ,whisking constantly and continue to whisk for another 30 seconds until it becomes thick ( the filling starts out quite thin but thickens as it cooks .

When it comes to a boil,it may be a little lumpy,stir vigorously and the lump will smooth out).
Remove from heat and strain through a strainer to remove any lumps.

Add immediately whisk in the butter and vanilla essence.

Mix and then fold in 1 cup of  roasted coconut flake.

Put a cling film on the filling and leave it to cool.
Pour the cooled filling over the baked and cooled pastry crust.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it set in the fridge for few hours.
Before serving sprinkle 1/2 cup of the remaining roasted coconut.

You can spread whipped cream on the top too.
The roasted coconut gives a nice flavour to the coconut pie.
The crust ,creamy filling and flakes of roasted coconut  on top, go very well together.