Triple Coconut Cream Pie August 21, 2014

This is one of those moments in my life where I think I should follow my dream and start my own out-of-home bakery.  I made something that looked a bit overwhelming going into it (the recipe that is), but the end product was wonderful!  AND it wasn’t as bad as I thought.  Plus, I enjoyed myself.

Will I ever follow my dream?  I don’t know myself, but in the meantime, I will continue on the blogging and sharing my foodie adventures.

Yes, I will admit, I am a foodie.  I remember food, restaurants, what I order, etc.  like my husband remembers each round of golf, fairway and putting green that he has played in his life.  I think about food from the time I get up till the time I fall asleep.  I page through cookbooks and food blogs daily.  I LOVE to talk to people about food.  I like feedback about what I made and am NOT offended if someone doesn’t like something (God has given us all different taste-buds as he has given us all different personalities, gifts, talents, etc.)

Anyway, I have not spent a ton of time in the kitchen lately.  It’s summertime.  I like to be outside with my kiddos.  It’s easy to throw some meat and some sort of veggie on the grill and call it a meal, but the other day it finally got to me.  I was ready to cook and bake.  I had about 8 cookbooks out and made a grocery list.  I made a delicious Pork Tenderloin with a Merlot Raspberry Sauce (Thanks to PR cookbook #2) and some of PW’s Mashed Potatoes for a nice Sunday dinner.  Then I went ahead and started up this Triple Coconut Cream Pie before dinner.  Yes I had 3 different recipes going at once….before dinner.  After dinner I enjoyed my time finishing up this pie by itself.  The dishwasher was full and my sinks were piled high…so I started the dishwasher and decided to be old fashioned and wash some dishes by hand.  Then I laid down and listened to a Relevent podcast with Shauna Niquest. (she isn’t on until halfway through the podcast if you were interested in listening)  She was eating at an Italian restaurant in Chicago which I would love to go to sometime.  It was a table talk thing and they ordered and ate as they talked.  It was like I was sitting at the table with them, salivating as they were forking food into their mouths….where were my kids during this time.  Hmmm, that’s a good question, hopefully my husband had them under control.  No, kidding.  Hunt was asleep like a baby (I even peaked in, I can’t get over how adorable he is when he is sweet, quiet and sleeping!) and the energetic Ree was hanging with dad probably doin’ who knows what.  And when all that was over, I enjoyed some good quality family time.  It was a good day.

As for the pie…I can’t take credit for the recipe myself.  It’s from a bakery in Seattle, it has been on many ‘one of the best pies in America’ lists.  It’s silky and coconuty.  The crust makes this pie even better. It’s called  Triple Coconut Cream Pie but is also known as “Coco Pie”.  If you’re interested in a slice or a whole pie, let me know!  (I’m going to have to save this recipe under my belt in case I do follow my dream.  :)

Truffle Pie July 26, 2013

This pie doesn’t need much of an introduction.  It is full of chocolate!  A nice chocolate ganache layer at the bottom, a delicious chocolate mousse layer in the middle and it is topped off with some whipped cream.  All I can say is…Awesome!  If you like french silk pie, you will really enjoy this one.  It is not quite as heavy as french silk but still very rich.  Find the recipe for Truffle Pie at the Deen Brother’s website here.  The next time you have some chocoholics over for supper, serve them this for dessert!

Mississippi Mud Pie June 12, 2012

This is one of those recipese you need to try sometime before you hand in your apron and measuring spoons.  It looks complicated and yes, there are a number of steps, but thankfully you can split the entire recipe up between 2-3 days to make it easier.  This pie is super chocoatly, but because I used mainly dark chocolate, it is not overlly sweet.  It’s really really good and I can’t wait for another opportunity to make it again.

It all starts out with an oreo crust on the bottom and the sides.  Now, I don’t want to be negative and you to turn from this recipe right here, but this is the only change I would make next time.  Of course, my crust was to thick, especially where the bottom meets the sides, couldn’t even break it with a fork.  Of course this was my fault, not the recipe, but next time I would make 1/4-1/3 of the oreo crust recipe and use it as a bottom only.  Skip it going up the sides.

The next layer is a flourless chocolate cake that consists of dark chocolate, coffee and kahlua.  I made a minor change to this recipe by using only 3/4 Tablespoon instant coffee granuals.  I didn’t want it to be a coffee overload.  I thought it was the perfect amount and would do the same next time.

The third layer is a layer of chocolate pudding.  I really wanted to make the original recipe but because of the partial cooked eggs, I opted out and used a recipe I found on epicurious.  (I have to admit I also forgot to buy pasturized eggs at the store….otherwise I may have still attempted it)  The epicurious recipe turned out delicious.  I used mainly dark chocolate, which made the pudding, again, not sweet but still divine, if you like your dark chocolate.  If you prefer it a bit sweeter, I would suggest using semi-sweet or a mixture of a couple different chocolates.

And the last layer is your basic whipping cream.  A simple ending to an awesome dessert.  Just what it needs.  The flavors and textures go perfectly together.

I was inspired to make this recipe when I first saw it on Bake or Break.  I highly recommend you checking out her site, because I am sure you will find some more awesome looking recipes and photos to go with them.  Check out her best of posts:  2009, 2010, 2011.   Enjoy!

Mississippi Mud Pie

Crust

16 ounces Oreos (about 35-40 cookies)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 300°.  Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line pan with parchment.  Spray parchment and sides of pan.

Place cookies in food processor and grind to a fine crumb.  Transfer the crumbs (about 3 & 1/2 cups) to a small bowl.  Pour melted butter over crumbs.  Mix until combined.

Using the back of a spoon or your hands, press crumbs evenly into bottom and up sides of prepared pan.  Place pan in freezer for about 10 minutes to let crust set.

Bake 10 minutes, or until crust is dry to the touch.  Cool in pan on wire rack.

Cake

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 ounces dark chocolate (60-70%), chopped

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder(I only used 3/4 T )

1/4 cup Kahlua (or strong coffee at room temperature)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

Increase oven temperature to 350°.

Melt butter and chocolate in microwave or double boiler.  Set aside to cool.

Whisk together espresso powder, Kahlua (or coffee), salt, and vanilla.  Set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until mixture is light and almost doubled in volume (about 5 minutes).  Add chocolate mixture and beat until just combined.  Scrape down sides and mix on low speed for 5 seconds.  Add Kahlua mixture and beat until just combined.  Scrape down sides and mix on low speed for 5 seconds.

In a separate bowl, still using the stand mixer and a clean whisk attachment, beat egg whites until foamy.  Gradually increase speed to high.  Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar.  Beat until soft peaks form.

Scoop about 1 cup of egg whites into chocolate mixture.  Gently fold in egg whites for about 30 seconds.  Add remaining egg whites and continue folding until they are almost combined.  Do not overmix.

Pour batter onto cookie crust.  Bake 38-42 minutes, until cake is set but jiggles slightly.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  As the cake cools, it will deflate in the center.  Wrap cooled cake tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Chocolate Pudding

2 T sugar

2 T cornstarch

2 T unsweetned cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

(or you can omit the heavy cream and use 2 cups of any kind of milk you have in the house, I believe I used some whole and some skim)

4 oz chocolate (your choice, milk, semi-sweet, dark.  I used dark, not sweet by any means but I loved it!)

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk sugar, cornstarch and cocoa powder together in a heavy saucepan.  Gradually add the milk and bring it to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking constantly.  When it comes to a boil, whisk for 2 minutes at a boil until it thickens up.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and vanilla until smooth.  Place a piece of wax paper over the top of the pudding (letting it touch) so it doesn’t form a rubbery crust and refridgerate until cooled.

Recipe from Epicurious

Whipped Cream

1 & 1/4 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pour cream into chilled metal bowl.  Beat with a chilled whisk until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.  Sprinkle sugar onto cream.  Continue whisking vigorously until stiff peaks form.

Spread whipped cream all the way to the sides on top of pudding layer of cake.  Unmold cake and serve immediately.

Recipes from Bake or Break who adopted from Baked Explorations (all except pudding recipe)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Crumble Tart May 29, 2012

Here is another recipe that I am going to direct you straight to the site where I got it from.  I made it exactly as written.  It was delicious!  A great non-chocolate dessert for a perfect warm summer day.  I loved everything about it.  The cookie-like crust, the lemony cream cheese filling with strawberries and of course my favorite part was the crumble topping.  The amount of crumble topping seemed a bit excessive at first, but after my daughter and I finished nibbling from it, I thought it was the perfect amount.  The suggestion at the end of the recipe about putting the tart together just before serving is a good one.  I put the cream cheese mixture in the crust about 16-18 hours before serving and put the crumble topping on maybe 6 hours before serving.  Turned out fine!  But by the second day, there wasn’t that yummy crunchy topping that I so much enjoyed.

You can find the recipe here at Nick Malgieri’s site.  And some beautiful pictures here at Tracey’s Culinary Adventures.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Chocolate Chip Pie & a Great Pie Crust! December 6, 2011

I’ve been using a pie crust for a year or two now and haven’t been the happiest with it.  So when I went to make this pie, I wanted to find a new pie crust.  I ended up trying Barefoot Contessa’s Perfect Pie Crust – and that it was!  I didn’t want to wait to give the crust a try so I used my crust scraps, sprinkled them with sugar and cinnamon and baked them for about 10 minutes and then…ate, them all!!!  So good!  Flaky, not too bland, a nice touch of sweetness.  I was very happy with the results.

The recipe makes 2-10 inch crusts – I halved it for 1 crust, but you may be able to freeze half the dough for another day.  The only tricky part of halving the recipe is the shortening.  For the full recipe, you need 1/3 cup, which is 5 1/3 T – take half of that for one crust.  It is doable, you just gotta think about it!

The Chocolate Chip pie was wonderful!  It is great at room temp (tastes like cookie dough!) and also warmed for a few second in the microwave (gooey and chocolatey!).  It is pretty rich, so you don’t need a huge piece and a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream adds a nice touch to the pie.  Enjoy it any way you want or try it all different ways until it’s gone!

Perfect Pie Crust

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix.  (I used a pastry blended which worked fine) Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn’t stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

Recipe from Food Network

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 (9 inch) pie shell

Preheat oven to 325.  Combine cooled melted butter or margarine and sugar, eggs, pecans, flour and chocolate chips; mix well.

Pour the mixture into the unbaked pastry shell and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. Let cool and serve.

Recipe adopted from Allrecipes.com

Recipes to my below desserts December 2, 2010

Go here for the Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake.  The two changes I would make to this recipe would be to leave the caramel off the gingersnap crust.  Parts of the crust ended up pretty much caramelized and not really chewable…I would add the extra caramel to the top of the cheesecake after baking and also probably leave the sugar out of the crust.

Apple Pie

3/4 cup  sugar

1 heaping Tablespoon cinnamon

6-8 granny smith apples, sliced

1 1/2 Tablespoon butter

2-3 Tablespoons flour

unbaked pie shell

Topping:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix sugar, cinnamon and flour.  Add apples and mix so all apples get coated.  Heap into unbaked pie shell.  Dot with butter.  Mix topping ingredients with a pastry blender.  Sprinkle on top of apples.  Bake 45-55 minutes.  (Next time I would cut my apples thinner and maybe bake a touch longer, my apples still had some crunch to them.)

Recipe from Mom who adopted it from Prized Recipes to Cook and Savor by PRCS

What I made for Thanksgiving.. November 29, 2010

Dessert!  That’s what I was in charge of, and if any of you know me, it was perfect because I love my sweets.  Although Thanksgiving dinner is such a delicious meal all together with the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, I love it!

I made Apple pie and a Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingerbread Crust.  Overall they both turned out very good.  I would make a few changes to both the next time I make them and I will note those changes when I post the recipes in a few days.  For now, here are pictures:  Apple Pie before baking and Pumpkin Cheesecake…sorry a bit blurry.

 

Rhubarb Custard Pie October 5, 2010

I’ve never made or tasted this pie before this one.  It has just the right amount of sweetness and tartness to it.  Thanks to our lovely rhubarb plant that is taking over my husband’s beautiful landscaping for allowing me to make this. 

If you’re looking for a simple recipe to use up that rhubarb you have growin’ try this recipe — so easy!

Rhubarb Custard Pie

3 beaten eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

4 c diced rhubarb

1 pie shell

Mix all ingredients together and put in the pie shell.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Recipe from Favorite Recipes MOPS at Bethel CRC

Simply Blueberry Pie August 9, 2010

Well, I went blueberry picking again this year!  Can’t get enough of those blueberries.  I froze a bunch last year and I  ran out of them by the end of the fall, so needless to say I should be freezing twice or probably three times as many.

Ever since blueberry season arrived, I’ve been wanting to make a blueberry pie.  When I was pregnant with Regan and went to good ‘ol Baker Square Restaurant, I always ordered their blueberry pie, delicious!  (before my pregnancy I would always get one of their rich chocolaty ones, which are good too!)  So I was very motivated to make a homemade blueberry pie.  I saw the recipe on Pioneer Women a few weeks back.  The recipe looked simple enough, so last week I whipped it together.  Yes, whipped, it was so easy to make, as was the pie crust that I also found on her site.  The outcome, delicious!  The only thing I would do next time would be to make it with ‘baking blueberries’ instead of ‘eating blueberries’, just to taste the difference.  I may still go pick some baking ones this year.

Blueberry Pie

Ingredients

2 pints (to 3 Pints) Blueberries

Sugar

1 dash (to 2 Dashes) Of Nutmeg

2 Tablespoons (to 3 Tablespoons) Flour (optional)

2 whole Pie Crusts

1 stick Butter, Sliced Into Pats

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl place 2-3 pints of fresh blueberries. Coat them with regular white sugar, not too much, just enough to bring out the natural sweetness.

Throw in a dash or two of nutmeg and a few tablespoons of all purpose flour. If you would prefer a pie that is more juicy you can leave out the flour.

Pour the blueberries into a pie crust and top with 8-10 small pats of butter. Cover with a second pie crust. Press both edges together, tucking the dough under as needed, working all the way around the edge of the pie.

While pinching the top and bottom crusts together, form the edge into a sort of lip. Then pinch the dough between your thumb and index finger all the way around the edge of the pie for a fluted look. Cut three or four slits in the top of the pie for ventilation.  (I also brushed the top of the crust with an egg wash and wanted to sprinkle a bit of sugar on top but forgot…so I did after I took it out of the oven.)

Bake in a 400º oven for approximately 35-40 minutes.

Sylvia’s Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients

1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)

3 cups All-purpose Flour

1 whole Egg

5 Tablespoons Cold Water

1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

Recipes from The Pioneer Women

Coconut Cream Pie February 16, 2008

This is another recipe I got from my mother-in-law.  This is one of those recipes I can see Sandra Lee making on her Semi-Homemade show.  It’s simple and quick.

Instead of using a pre-made pie crust, I made an Animal Cracker Cookie crust.  I was very happy how the crust turned out as well as the pie! 

 Coconut Cream Pie

2 Pkgs (6 serving size) Instant Vanilla Pudding

2 Cups Milk

1 Cup Coconut

2 Pkgs Dream Whip (prepared separately according to directions on box) or Cool Whip (8 oz)

Beat the pudding powder with the milk until well blended, about 5 minutes.  Add 1 Cup Coconut and fold in 1 Pkg prepared Dream Whip.  Pour into baked pie shell and top with the other prepared Dream Whip or Cool Whip.  Sprinkle additional toasted coconut over topping.

Animal Cracker Cookie Crust

1 1/4 Cups crushed Animal Crackers

6 Tbsp melted Butter

Mix cookie crumbs and butter together.  Put in pie plate and press down to cover bottom and sides.  Cook at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.