#2877 - Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 9" pie crust dough
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks
1 TBSP butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup Baker's angelflake coconut
Chocolate layer: 3 TBSP Hershey's cocoa; 3 TBSP white sugar; 2 TBSP milk
Meringue: 3 egg whites; 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar; 6 TBSP white sugar

Spray a pie plate with Pam, insert the pie dough, flute the edges of the dough, spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the pie crust cool. In a saucepan (no heat yet) add 2/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup cornstarch and salt--stir well. Slowly add milk--stir until mixed. Turn heat to medium--cook/stir mixture until bubbling and thickened. Turn heat back to low--cook/stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. In a bowl add egg yolks--beat with a fork. Take 3 spoonfuls of the hot sugar mixture and put it in with the beaten egg mixture--beat the eggs again. Now pour the whole egg mixture into the hot sugar mixture--stir well. Place the sugar mixture over medium heat--cook/stir until boiling. Once boiling, cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat--add butter and vanilla to hot sugar mixture--stir well. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the hot sugar mixture into a bowl and add the angelflake coconut to it--stir and set it aside. In a separate bowl add the cocoa, 3 TBSP white sugar and milk--stir well. Add the cocoa mixture to the hot sugar mixture--stir well. Cook and stir the sugar mixture again until boiling. Remove hot sugar mixture from heat--pour 1 cup of the hot sugar mixture into the baked pie crust. Pour the coconut mixture evenly over the top. Carefully pour the rest of the hot sugar mixture over the top. In a mixer, beat the egg whites a little bit, add the cream of tartar, add white sugar, then beat until completely stiff and it forms peaks. Spread the meringue over the top of the pie using a spatula and make sure you spread it all the way to the edges to seal the pie. Use your index finger, start in the center of the pie and make a spiral from the center and continue until you get to the edge. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Cool completely. Refrigerate until cold.