Coconut Cream Pie

There's a looong story that goes with this post, but since I have a TON of work to do on the computer today, I'm gonna make it short and sweet. I asked my dad what dessert he wanted for Father's Day, and his first reply was pie crust. His favorite thing is when I bake my leftover pie crust scraps with cinnamon and sugar. I wouldn't feel satisfied if all I baked him on Father's Day was scraps, so his second choice was coconut custard pie... and pie scraps, of course! :D I found a great recipe for coconut cream pie in The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. I liked it because it used coconut milk in the custard.

I started by making and baking the pie crust. I made a double batch of pie pastry. I rolled out half and put it in a pie pan. Then I rolled out the other half, cut it into strips, sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar, and baked them as "scraps." While the crust was in the oven, I made the coconut custard. It was insanely delicious, and I knew it was gonna make a GREAT pie. Next is when the baking gods decided take a giant, steaming deuce on my day!

When I went to retrieve my beautiful pre-baked pie crust from the oven, it slid back on the oven mitt, and the 375 degree dark metal pie pan made contact with my arm flesh! Naturally, my reflex was to get it off me, ASAP! I jerked my arm forward and watched in slow motion as my perfect pie crust hit the floor and flattened into a fugly hot mess. My mom, trying to remedy the situation, grabbed the pie crust and tried to put it back together jigsaw style. "Cassie, you can't even tell!" No way! No way was I gonna serve my dad a pie that had once been in pieces on the floor! By this time, dinner was almost ready. I had no time to re-do anything. I accepted my defeat, and with my head down, I put the coconut custard in the fridge to wait until the next day when I could gather my wits and try again.But remember how I said the baking gods took not only a deuce, but a GIANT, STEAMING deuce on my day?? Yeah, I also baked a birthday cake for a family friend. Can you guess how that turned out? I'll put it this way, I took one bite and spit it out... SPIT IT OUT! How embarassing is that? I am trying to open my own bakery, and I just produced a cake for someone's birthday that might've tasted better if I'd made it in my Easy-Bake Oven! Gahh!! Needless to say, I had a well-deserved cry while Josh reassured me that I simply made a mistake somewhere in the recipe, and that I was still a baking goddess. :D I love that boy! <3 Ok, so it didn't end up being a short story after all. Oh well, that just means less time playing FarmVille later.... Here's the Coconut Cream Pie recipe. BTW, the pictures look redonkulous because I was using the camera I gave to my dad for Father's Day. I haven't figured out any of the settings yet.

Coconut Cream Pie (adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)

1 pre-baked 9” pie crust (half of the recipe after the link)

Filling
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk (look for this on the Asian food aisle in the grocery store)
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon table salt
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping (my own recipe)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted coconut, optional

Bring coconut milk, whole milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, and salt to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves.

Whisk yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisking constantly, gradually ladle about 1 cup hot milk mixture over yolk mixture; whisk well to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually add remaining milk mixture to yolk mixture in 3 or 4 additions; whisk well to combine. Return mixture to saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until the mixture is thickened and a few bubbles burst on the surface, about 30 seconds.

Off heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Let the mixture cool until just warm, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Pour warm filling into cooled pie crust. Press plastic wrap directly against surface of filling and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

For the topping, whip the cream, sugar, and flavorings with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat or the cream will curdle. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top of the pie and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

My Best Banana Cream Pie

I'm extremely confident that Marilyn M. Moore truly did disclose the recipe for her best banana cream pie! And that's exactly what she named the recipe in "The Wooden Spoon Dessert Book." This is the first banana cream pie I've ever made, and I couldn't be more pleased with the way it turned out. The vanilla wafer crust is so yummy (even with reduced fat cookies). The custard is so creamy and delicious. Once it sits in the fridge layered with the bananas, the banana flavor infuses into everything and becomes so fragrant and wonderful! It seems like it would be such a heavy, rich dessert but somehow it feels light. I'm so pleased to finally have a recipe other than banana bread to use up ripe bananas!
My Best Banana Cream Pie (from The Wooden Spoon Dessert Book by Marilyn M. Moore)

Crust
1 3/4 cups vanilla-wafer crumbs (about 55 cookies)
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (I used salted because I like a little salt in my crust)

Custard
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold milk
3 large egg yolks, beaten
2 cups scalded milk
2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove 1/4 cup vanilla-wafer crumbs. Mix together remaining cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden-brown. Cool on a wire rack.
For the custard, in a heavy saucepan stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt, pressing out any lumps with the back of a spoon. Stir in the cold milk and beaten egg yolks. When the mixture is smooth, stir in the scalded milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture begins to thicken, turn the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly, about 1 minute longer. If the mixture threatens to become lumpy, remove it from the heat at once and stir vigorously until smooth. When thick, remove from the heat and gently stir in the softened butter and vanilla. Let cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent a film from forming on top.
Spoon 1/3 of the filling into the cooled crust. Peel and slice the bananas into 1/4-inch slices over the filling. Spoon the remaining filling over the bananas. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
Top with sweetened whipped cream and reserved vanilla-wafer crumbs. Refrigerate leftovers.

Four-Star Chocolate Bread Pudding!

What!? I just happened to make Dorie's Four-Star Chocolate Bread Pudding at the same time as the TWDers, and I didn't even know it!? AWESOME! I've always wanted to join Tuesdays with Dorie, but somehow I always manage to fill up my week with other baking obligations. Oh well, this week I can pretend I'm one of them! ;)

Remember the Kugelhopf I just posted... seriously... you have to remember... it was literally minutes ago! Anyway, I mentioned turning the leftovers into bread pudding. Well, here she is! After a few days of nibbling off of the Kugelhopf, I had approximately half of it leftover. I knew I wanted to make bread pudding out of it, because I'd never had bread pudding before. I made it a few times at the bakery I used to worked at, but theirs smelled (and looked) like puke. I was hesitant to make bread pudding at home, but I had a feeling I could do a better job at making it look appetizing! Maybe, I was wrong, because mine came out looking a little like dog food (or Egg Fu Yung, you decide). But it definitely tasted good! You could still taste the wonderful yeasty flavor of the Kugelhopf, but now it was accompanied by the fantastic, creamy flavor of chocolate! At first I wasn't sure if I'd like the raisin/chocolate combo, but it was nice. The raisins added a nice burst of flavor every now and then. The only thing I'd change about it is to follow Dorie's optional instructions for baking it in a 7-x-11-inch pan to make it deeper. Other than that, this Egg Fu Yung *ahem* bread pudding is a keeper!

Four-Star Chocolate Bread Pudding (from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)
MAKES 12 SERVINGS

“I like to use a pan large enough to create a pudding that's only about an inch high… If you'd like a deeper pudding, you can make the pudding in a 7-x-ll-inch baking pan or in something deeper, like a soufflé mold. Alternatively, you can make individual puddings--depending on the size of the cups you use, you'll need 8 to 10. Of course, with any change of pan, you'll have to change the baking time, which is not difficult since, as you'll see, it is easy to tell when the pudding is properly baked.”

SERVING: You could serve this pudding warm, but it is better at cool room temperature or even chilled--it also cuts better when it is cold. Serve the pudding simply with a dusting of confectioners' sugar or less simply with vanilla (or rum or Grand Marnier or brandy) Crème Anglaise, chocolate sauce, or whipped cream or crème fraîche.

STORING: Covered, the bread pudding will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. (Sike, I bet it can last for a week!)

12 ounces bread (brioche, challah or white (or Kugelhopf)), preferably stale
1/2 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cherries (optional) (Since there were raisins alredy in my Kugelhopf, I just sprinkled a few extra raisins on top of the pudding before baking.)
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used semi-sweet chips)

Getting ready: Have a 9-x-13-inch baking pan at hand (a Pyrex pan is perfect here), as well as a roasting pan big enough to hold the baking pan and hot water. Line the roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels.
Cut the bread into I-inch cubes. If the bread is stale, put it and the raisins or cherries, if you are using them, into the baking pan. If it is not stale, spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat and bake in a 350 degree F oven to "stale" it for 10 minutes, then toss into the pan (with the fruit).
Bring the milk and cream just to a boil.
Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Still whisking, slowly drizzle in about one quarter of the hot milk mixture--this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they don't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the rest of the hot milk. Add the chocolate and whisk it in gently until it is melted and the custard is smooth. Rap the bowl against the counter to pop any bubbles that might have formed, then pour the custard over the bread and press the bread gently with the back of a spoon to help cover it with liquid. Leave the pan on the counter, giving the bread the back-of-the-spoon treatment now and then, for 30 minutes.

Getting ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Slide the pan setup into the oven and very carefully pour enough hat water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the pudding pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the pudding is evenly puffed, the top is dull and dry and a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Boston Cream Cupcakes

One of my dad's favorite desserts is Boston Cream Pie. How could I not make Boston Cream Cupcakes for his birthday??? They were delicious, but due to the custard filling they had to be refrigerated which caused the cake to dry out a bit (talk about a run-on sentence). Not to worry, just have a glass of milk nearby! It's best to let these cupcakes sit out for about 15-20 minutes until they are room temp before eating them, unless you're like my dad and you like your Boston Cream straight from the fridge. By the way, I'll be using this custard recipe for all my custard needs from now on! It is sooo good I could barely stop myself from eating it out of the bowl.

Boston Cream Cupcakes on a broken stand I found for $2 at a thrift store. There's nothing a drop of super glue won't fix!
Boston Cream through a cheap wide angle lens I bought on eBay. Boston Cream innards!

Recipe from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson.

MY NOTES: Next time I'll add a little more vanilla to the cake batter, because the cake didn't have much of a flavor. I doubled the recipe and got 28 cupcakes. Mine were done at 17 minutes. I used the cone method AND scooped additional cake out of the center of each cupcake. I put 2-3 teaspoons of custard in each.

BOSTON CREAM CUPCAKES
Makes 12 cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350F/180C

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Filling:
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream (35%) plus 3 tbsp divided
2 tsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla

Glaze:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup whipping cream(35%)

1. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and milk in three additions. Beating until smooth.
3. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and brown.let cool in pan or rack for 10 min. Remove from pan and cool comepletely on rack.

Filling:
1. In a heavy saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in egg yolks, milk and 1/4 cup of cream until smooth. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat. Whisking continously.
2. Once mixture is at a simmer and begins to thicken, remove from heat but continue whisking until very thick. Whisk in butter and a vanilla paste until butter is melted and custard is smooth.
3. Spoon custard into a small bowl. Fill a slightly larger bowl with ice. Place small bowl of custard on top of ice. Whisk custard until cool. Remove small pan, dry bottom and sides with a towel so that no moisture gets inside the bowl.
4. Whisk in remaining 3 tsbp whipping cream. Place a piece of plastic wrap on surface of custard and refrigerate for 40 min or untill chilled or for up to 2 days.

Glaze:
In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and cream. Microwave uncovered on High for 40 sec. or until cream is hot and chocolate is soft and almost melted. Stir until smooth. Let chocolate mixture sit for 5 min. or until slightly cooled but still spreadable.

Assembly: (I USED THE CONE METHOD[pictures and instrux after the link], plus scooped a little more cake from the center of each to add LOTS of custard)
1. When cupcakes are cool, peel off paper liners. Carefully slice off tops of cupcakes. Using a small spoon, scoop out about a rounded teaspoon of cake from the bottom half. Dont scoop a hole in the bottom.
2. Spread a layer of reserved cooled custard on cut side of bottom half and fill small hole of custard too. Sandwich two halves together. Repeat with the remaining.
3. Spread tops of cupcakes with chocolate glaze. Place cupcakes on a platter or baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to serve. They need to stay refrigerated so that the custard filling doesn't spoil. Serve straight from the refrigerator or let sit at room temperature for about 15 min. to remove the chill.

PS: My free Flickr account has reached it's limit on the number of photos I can upload. If anyone wants to buy a Pro account for me, that's awesome. Otherwise I'll eventually get around to buying one whenever I have new cupcake photos to upload.