Coconut Cream Pie

To make the crust:

To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan and add to the crumb mixture, stirring until everything is moist and just comes together (if you need to add butter or graham cracker crumbs to achieve your desired consistency, that’s fine—these numbers are a starting point for you). Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie pan with your palm or the back of a spoon. Set aside, and make the pie filling.

To make the filling:

Whisk the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and flour in a medium bowl. Bring the milk and coconut to a simmer (a rolling bubble) in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly; you don’t want to have scrambled eggs in your pie! Return the mixture to the same saucepan. Cook the mixture until the custard boils then thickens, stirring constantly for about 3-4 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, and mix in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Pour the custard to a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface; this prevents a nasty skin from forming on top of the pie. Chill until cold, at least 3 hours. Transfer the filling to the crust. Cover and chill overnight.

To make the topping:

Toast the coconut in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and coconut extract in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form (make sure your whipping cream and beaters are cold—this encourages peaks to form). Spread the whipped cream over the top of the filling. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the surface of the pie. Serve the pie cold, and devour it!