Easter Coconut Cream Pie
In Memory of Donna Marie Durkin-Agneta
Contributed and Written by Mike Durkin
Recipe Adapted from Claire Saffitz’s Best Coconut Cream Pie recipe
"You know it’s done, when it’s the consistency of pudding, and you can run a spoon through and there leaves a mark."
It's been 1 year
Since my mom Donna Durkin
Passed Away from COVID-19
Today
April 4th
I got up early to make her favorite dessert, Coconut Cream pie
I went to visit her in the cemetery, and as I was driving, a Gloria Estefan song, "On Your Feet" came on the radio. I probably haven't heard that song in years. But she loved Gloria Estefan. I could remember listening to this song in some tv show, or commercial, or on the radio spending an evening with my mom years ago. I knew today, during my drive, she was with me.
As I got to the cemetery I glanced and those visiting their loved ones wearing outfits going to or coming from Church service. I walked around noticing the families, the headstones, and a balloon with the writing "We love you mom" flew by me.
Easter was her favorite holiday
Probably tied to her Catholic upbringing
She loved ham
She loved family meals
She loved getting my sister and I Easter baskets and seeing our faces
It's been a year
Sharing her memories and stories with friends, family, and those I work with
Sharing her friendliness, her compassion, her love of slowing down
What I like about this recipe
Well, first off
I’m not a baker
Well maybe an amateur baker
Maybe a baker in the future
I’d like to maybe open a bakery or some kind of kitchen at some point
Well, first off
I’m not a baker
Well maybe an amateur baker
Maybe a baker in the future
I’d like to maybe open a bakery or some kind of kitchen at some point
What I like about this recipe is that it isn’t a sugar bomb
I use this recipe as a blueprint
My wife and I love watching Claire Saffitz’s baking videos
Maybe we should get her cookbook
If I had hair maybe I would probably have a grey streak like she does
But not cool like hers
Grimey
Like Paulie Walnuts
My wife and I love watching Claire
baking videos
Maybe we should get her cookbook
If I had hair maybe I would probably have a grey streak like she does
But not cool like hers
Grimey
Like Paulie Walnuts
I riff off the recipe
Using ingredients I have access too
Buying the ingredients at the Stop and Shop on Richmond Ave in Staten Island
I guess I could walk around the corner to the trader joe’s
But I still buy the organic ingredients
Well mostly organic
This is a recipe to honor my mother
She loved coconut treats and desserts
Almond Joy
Coconut cake
Macaroons
Sourced around Passover
She was raised Catholic, loved family traditions, loved holidays, loved Easter
I made her this pie 2 years ago and she fell in love with it
She always had kind things to say about my cooking
This is also the first dessert I made after I stopped drinking alcohol
At the time of this recipe
3 years and 4 months booze-free
This is a recipe that I will forever make on Easter
Only at Easter
Each year adapting, adjusting, transforming the desert
Passing this on to my future children
I invite you to use this as a blueprint, adjust to your liking, experiment, try stuff out, use instinct, color outside the lines
Notice how your body moves in making this pie
Notice how all the senses are evoked
Notice the images that pop up for you
Let yourself be open to this exploration
The Easter Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
Crust
12 squares of Graham Crackers
A half stick of butter
A pinch of salt
¼ cup of granulated sugar
A cup of the toasted coconut
I don’t have a food processor
I try to prepare my recipes by hand
Taking the long way
Feeling physically connected to the food
Knowing I’m controlling each step of the way
I don’t have a food processor
I try to prepare my recipes by hand
Taking the long way
Feeling physically connected to the food
Knowing I’m controlling each step of the way
So we take a zip-lock bag, place our graham crackers in and crush them up until it’s broken down to small bits. You can use a rolling pin or any type of tool. I prefer using my hands crushing them in the bag. Hearing the sounds of the crunching of the crackers. You’ll want to add the remainder of the dry ingredients, making sure they are incorporated evenly.
You’ll then get a large bowl and add your dry ingredients in. Next, melt a half stick of butter, and pour into the dry mixture. Making sure they are incorporated and they form the consistency of wet sand. Like when you come from the water and walk on to the beach, where the wet sand residue lingers on your feet.
Then we will put our mixture into a greased 9in baking dish. I use a glass one, because the only other one I have is metal, and that won’t work. We want to make the crust and spread evenly in the dish, making sure the mixture is touching the bottom of the dish. I use the back of a spoon to spread them out.
We will bake this for ten minutes until it lightly browns. Set aside until you’ve made your curd.
Coconut Curd
3 tablespoons of coconut oil
2 teaspoons of good quality vanilla extract
1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk, shaken
1cup half-and-half
1large egg
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ Cup of granulated sugar
During this process, we have to work quickly, efficiently, and gently all at the same time. We want to avoid cooking the eggs. We don’t want to scramble them. If you want some scrambled eggs, see DJ’s recipe!
Bring coconut milk to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until coconut milk is reduced to about 1 cup, 10–15 minutes. Add half-and-half and bring to a gentle simmer. Add in the vanilla extract.
Meanwhile, briskly whisk egg, yolks, cornstarch, salt, and ½ cup sugar in another medium bowl until pale and thick, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about ½ cup hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Go back to whisking milk mixture in saucepan, then slowly pour tempered egg mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until foam has subsided and custard holds the marks of the whisk, about 2 minutes.
You’ll know it’s done, when it’s the consistency of pudding, and you can run a spoon through and there leaves a mark.
You’ll know it’s done, when it’s the consistency of pudding, and you can run a spoon through and there leaves a mark.
Whisk in coconut oil until a glossy consistency forms.
Once this mixture cools, we can pour into our pie crust. We want to let this cool in the fridge for about 6 hours. Until it sets.
Whipped cream
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon of Powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
I bought the store brand versions of each of these items from the Stop and Shop
Get yourself a large bowl. I used a glass bowl. I don’t know where I got this bowl from. I know I packed it when I moved from Philly. I don’t remember buying it. Maybe it came from a previous roommate. It’s funny how we inherit these items. I honestly have no idea how I acquired it.
Pour the cream into a bowl. Now, you could hand whisk. Feeling your hands cramp up, adjusting the bowl. Most likely it would take you 5 minutes or probably longer. You get yourself a workout, working out your arms and wrists. The feel of the cream changing consistency as you go longer. The sweat pouring down your brow as you go longer and longer.
Or you could use a hand mixer.
Which is what I used.
I acquired the mixer from my mom, and it seems indestructible. It has mixed many creams, curds, and soups.
Mix the whipping cream until a thick consistency form (but don’t over mix it)
One of the first times I tried to make a whipped cream I over mixed it, and it resembled curdled butter. No good!
So mix it and then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix it until it achieves the consistency you want.
Now we place it on top of the pie. Maybe you garnish it with the remainder of the toasted coconut, maybe some lime. You know, make it your own.
I like to let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
The moment when I slice into the pie and take the first bites transports me back to sharing this with my mom, dreaming of sharing this with my future children, and looking at my wife’s eyes sharing it with her today.
The moment when I slice into the pie and take the first bites transports me back to sharing this with my mom, dreaming of sharing this with my future children, and looking at my wife’s eyes sharing it with her today.
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