I don’t know about you, but for me, November is all about the pies. Cream pies, fruit pies, ice cream pies – basically all the pies, all the time. If you stop and think about it for a second, pies are kind of the perfect food.
They can be sweet, they can be savory, they can be frozen or they can be served pipping hot. There are so many delicious options! Yet, everyone seems to ignore them until Thanksgiving rolls around. I. DON’T. GET. IT. Why are people not shouting from the rooftops about how much they love pies?!
But now that pie season is upon us, it’s time to stop talking and start baking. Last year I did an Extreme Pumpkin Pie, and the year before that was a Bourbon Chocolate Pecan – both Thanksgiving staples.
So this year, I decided to go down a more non-traditional path. That, and I have been promising my roommate a coconut based pie since her birthday…in May. I know what you are thinking…May was a LONG time ago. But better late than never.
The pie I came up with is a hybrid of my two favorite cream pies – the coconut and the banana. The Coconut Banana Cream Pie (super original name…am I right?) is filled with creamy coconut custard, shredded coconut and banana slices and then topped off with a mountain of whipped cream, toasted coconut and more bananas. It is heavenly. And even more important…my roommate was very happy with me.
COCONUT BANANA CREAM PIE
Ingredients
PIE CRUST
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2/3 cup + 1 tbs cold shortening
- 3 tbs cold water
- 3 tbs cold milk
COCONUT FILLING
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 2 large bananas
TOPPING
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 cup toasted coconut
- 1 large banana
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine flour, salt and sugar.
- Add shortening and mix until just combined.
- Add cold water and milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until dough comes together.
- Gather dough into a ball and shape it into a flattened round on a floured surface.
- Roll pie crust into a circle 2 inches larger than the upside down pie plate.
- Carefully transfer dough to pie plate and trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. Fold the extra piece under and pinch to seal it. Decorate edges as desired.
- Using a fork, poke a couple of holes in the bottom of the crust.
- Line the bottom of the crust with parchment and fill it with pie weights.
- Bake the crust for 20 minutes.
- Remove pie weights and parchment.
- Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the bottom is golden.
For the filling:
- Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add coconut milk and whole milk and cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbling and thick.
- Add the mixture to the eggs yolks a little bit at a time. Whisk until combined.
- Return the mix to the saucepan and cook on medium hear, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and add coconut. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until the filling is completely set (about 4 hours).
- Once it is set, place sliced bananas all over the bottom of the pie crust and pour coconut mixture over the top. Smooth with spatula.
For the topping:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine heavy cream and powdered sugar.
- Mix on a high speed until soft peaks form.
- Put whipped cream on top of coconut mixture and smooth with spatula.
- Add sliced banana and toasted coconut.
