This is sinfully rich and creamy, just the way a cream pie should be. It is best made several hours in advance, so that the coconut flavor has a chance to bloom in the filling. The crust is a classic pâte brisée, the rich, flaky French pastry used for both sweet and savory tarts (try it with your favorite quiche recipe). Don’t expect leftovers!

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　

Pâte Brisée

1 1/4 cups flour

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　1/8 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces, or 4 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

　　1/4 cup ice water

　　

Coconut Cream

1/2 cup milk

　　1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

　　1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

　　1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

　　2 tablespoons cornstarch

　　1 cup plus 1/4 cup heavy cream

　　3 egg yolks

　　1 tablespoon butter, softened

　　1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, lightly toasted

　　

Pate Brisee

Step 1

Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt into a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles oatmeal or coarse crumbs. Use a fork to stir in the water. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; it will still be slightly crumbly. Fold it over on itself a few times, just until the dough holds together and becomes more supple and less grainy. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan.

　　

Step 3

Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and gently drape it on the pan. Cover the dough with a disc of parchment paper and weight down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the bottom and sides of the pie shell are starting to turn light golden brown. Remove the pie weights and parchment and bake 2–3 more minutes, until the crust is cooked all the way through but is not too brown. Remove it from the oven and cool completely before filling.

　　

Coconut Cream

Step 4

Using a medium saucepan, bring the milk, coconut milk, 1/3 cup sugar, and the vanilla bean (bean and scrapings) to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk the cornstarch into 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and then whisk into the milk; remove from heat.

　　

Step 5

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until fluffy. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly so that the eggs won’t curdle. Run the whisk along the bottom of the saucepan to make sure you’re getting all the eggs. Return the saucepan to medium heat and start whisking rapidly. The mixture should come to a boil and start to thicken. Lower the heat slightly and cook, whisking, for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Stir in the butter and cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic. Cool completely.

　　

Step 6

Place the cooled pastry cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and remaining 1 cup of heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium-high until stiff. Fold in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and scoop the filling into the pie shell. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut and refrigerate until ready to serve.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.