Coconut Meringue Pie
Contributor: Dolores Okonski Johnson
Crust:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 c. shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
- Stir together flour and salt using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened.
Form dough into a ball. - On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from
center to edge into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. - To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate.
Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it.
- Trim pastry to ½ inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edges as desired. Prick bottom and edge of pastry with fork. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake 450 for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5 to 6 minutes until golden.
Custard:
2/3 cups sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup coconut (for custard)
- Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a sauce pan.
- Blend milk and egg yolks, gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, blend in butter and vanilla.
- Stir in ¾ cup flaked coconut.
- Immediately pour into baked pie shell.
Meringue:
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
- Beat in sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time
- Continue beating until stiff & glossy. Do not underbeat.
- Beat in vanilla
- Spread over coconut custard and shape into peaks.
- Sprinkle ¼ coconut over meringue
- Bake on 400 until the meringue turns golden or about 8-10 minutes
Note: Watch carefully to make sure the meringue does not burn; adjust heat if needed.