Corn flake Coconut Cream Pie

Corn Flake Coconut Cream Pie is a special and easy treat for anytime of the year.  I love coconut for many reasons, but the crunchy base of this pie and the sweetness of the cream make me so happy.

When I was a little girl my mom’s friends would gather for a piece of pie at Muio’s Restaurant in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.  It was a special occasion for these hard-working immigrant women to get together.  They would also often go to the soda counter at the Woolworth Store; here I enjoyed the spinning stools.  I was lucky enough to join them sometimes.

This was the 60’s and the women wore their best dresses with matching hats.  Sometimes the gloves came out.  I remember taking it all in because it was the culture of the times.  It was the only time they would wear lipstick and the colours were hot pinks and vibrant reds.  They wore no other make-up and they didn’t need to because the lipstick, the hats and the gloves made them stand out.  For a few hours, these hard-working immigrant women were the Sophia Lauren’s of the soda counter.

Pies were different treats for the Italian immigrants; to this day, I am afraid of making a pie crust.  This one is so easy, my grandson can make it. I think we can’t make pies because we want to over work the dough.  We are used to kneading dough and a regular pie crust needs gentle and little handling.  For these reasons, I am looking for easier shells to make.

I take two cups of the Corn Flakes and I crush them using my hands. Kids like to help with this step.

Then I add the third cup whole and mix.  This way you get different sized pieces in the crust and different levels of crunch.

Add the coconut sugar and melted butter.  Stir and put into a greased 9 inch pie dish.

I put a piece of plastic wrap over the mixture and use my hands to even it out and get up the edges. Pop into the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Put the cornstarch, sugar and milk in a pot. These are the tiny bubbles it makes as I whisk everything over medium heat.

The egg yolks are ready for the hot liquid.  I am tempering the egg yolk, this way I don’t get scrambled eggs. Adding a steady stream from a ladle into the egg yolks helps me create a smooth custard for my pie.

The rich and velvety texture of a very much-loved custard. It returns to the pot and everything blends together.

Next the coconut goes into the pot.

Once the coconut incorporates I remove the pan from the heat and add vanilla and butter.  This gives it a final touch of goodness.

The pie shell comes out of the refrigerator and I let the custard cool for a bit.

The custard meets the shell and it all goes back into the refrigerator.  My company will eat this tomorrow after our barbecue.  Try to refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

It is rich and creamy; the first piece is for me.