Page 447 - Pie Squared

the custard (so no skin will form) and refrigerate for at least 45
minutes or at most 2 days.

Spoon the coconut filling into the pre-baked crust. Smooth the
surface with an offset spatula and put the pie into the refrigerator.
Chill for 30 minutes or longer.
For the topping: Beat the cream at high speed with an electric

mixer until foamy. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating
until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla. Spread or pipe the whipped
cream over the pie and garnish with a shower of toasted coconut.
Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. The leftovers, covered and

refrigerated, hold for 3 days.

Techniques: Press-In Crusts (here), Cracker Crumb Crusts (here),
Whipped and Mashed Toppings (here)

Swaps:

Use a Graham Cracker or Vanilla Wafer Crust (here).

Swap in the filling from Lemon Cream Slab Pie (here) or Banana

Pudding Slab Pie (here).

Omit the garnish of toasted coconut and drizzle with melted
chocolate or hot caramel instead.

HOW TO TOAST COCONUT

Toasting sweetened coconut can be tricky. The sugar easily

burns, turning tasty to toasty to terrible in no time at all. Patience
and vigilance pay off. Do not leave the kitchen. Watch it every
moment. And remember—a hot pan will continue to cook the

coconut even after removing it from the stove or oven, so
immediately pour that perfectly toasted coconut onto a cutting
board and lightly chop and crush it with a sharp knife until
garnish-worthy. Here are three ways to achieve “coconuttyness”
with ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes: