Rita Likes Pie

Old fashioned coconut cream pie from scratch

The “cream” part is the half and half. The flour helps the filling set up nicely.

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted if desired (toast in 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes), divided into 3/4 and 1 cup.

3 cups half & half

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 large eggs, beaten slightly

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 baked pie crust, cooled

Instructions

Whisk together half & half, sugar, flour, eggs and salt in pan.

Bring to boil over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats back of a spoon. This took about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in 3/4 cup coconut and vanilla. Let cool a couple minutes, give it another stir, then pour into pie crust.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup coconut, and chill until firm, about 4 hours.

“Old fashioned” coconut cream pie from boxed pudding mix

Buy the large box, 4.6 oz., of cook & serve vanilla pudding mix.

Put one large egg in a 4 cup measuring cup, beat it a tiny bit, then pour enough whole milk in to equal 3 cups total.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and whisk until smooth.

Follow directions on box for cooking, then stir in 3/4 cup coconut. Pour into cooled pie shell, sprinkle with 1 cup coconut, then chill until firm, about 3-4 hours.