French Coconut Pie (Trisha Yearwood Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Why does my coconut pie get watery? ›

Undercooked Filling: If the cornstarch-thickened filling hasn't been cooked long enough to reach a boil and then simmered for a few minutes, it may not set properly, leading to weeping as it cools.

First, it's possible that your custard did not thicken enough. Before adding it to your pie shell, check to make sure your custard is not watery. It should be about the consistency of your average pudding. Second, it's much more likely that the layers weren't totally cooled before you assembled.

Though it's difficult to trace the exact origins of coconut cream pie, there are recipes from the 19th century, like the “cocoa-nut cream” in Mary Randolph's 1824 book The Virginia Housewife and the “cocoa-nut pudding” in Eliza Leslie's 1828 book Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats, two creamy ...

The pie has a rich, creamy filling combining shredded coconut with a custard base of milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla. It's similar to coconut cream pie, but it's baked instead of made on the stovetop, which results in a firmer filling and a personality all its own.

Blind Bake

The most common way to ward off a soggy pie crust is by a process called blind baking. Blind baking means you pre-bake the crust (sometimes covered with parchment or foil and weighed down with pie weights to prevent the crust from bubbling up) so that it sets and crisps up before you add any wet filling.

Experiment with different thickeners

If you usually use flour to thicken your apple pie and it's not doing the job, try something different: cornstarch, tapioca, and arrowroot are other established fruit pie thickeners. For more on specific thickeners and how to use them, see our Pie Filling Thickeners Guide.

Coconut Cream Pie Recipe FAQs

The filling will thicken a bit more as it cools. And firm up completely once it has set in the fridge. As a last resort, add more cornstarch (a small amount at a time) if needed.

You can use cornstarch or all-purpose flour as a thickening agent. Dissolve some cornstarch or cornflour in a bowl with cold water to make a slurry. Then add the slurry to the coconut milk and boil until it reaches your desired consistency.

Although the general idea of a cream pie may be able to trace its roots back to Europe, the Coconut Cream Pie may actually be an American invention. In the 1800s, as Americans were enjoying tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapple, coconuts also became more accessible in the United States.

Why is Boston cream pie called that? ›

A Pie Is Born

The boston cream pie's name may be a mystery, but its origins are not. The dessert was first created in 1856 at Boston's famous Parker House Hotel (also the birthplace of Parker House rolls) by Armenian-French chef M. Sanzian.

Coconut cream has a short shelf life once opened, so refrigerate and use within 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

The difference between coconut cream pie and coconut custard pie comes down to how the filling is prepared. Coconut cream pie filling is prepared on the stovetop and poured into a fully baked crust. The pie is then chilled for several hours to allow the filling to set. Coconut custard pie is cooked in the oven.

As it turns out, undercooking and overcooking can both cause weeping meringue and unwanted moisture on top of your pie (aka beading). Overcooking meringue causes those little sugary drops of moisture on top of baked meringues.

At its most basic, pastry cream is a combination of milk, eggs, and starch that are cooked together to create a rich and thick custard that's a workhorse in the baker's kitchen.

Allow your pie to bake for the entire recommended period.

People often pull their pie too soon out of fear that it will burn. This leads to runny pie because it prevents the filling from thickening. Check the recommended cooking time, and set a timer. Don't use the brownness of your pie crust to judge if it is done.

Steaming: Place the coconut in a steaming pot. You can use a cheesecloth at the bottom to prevent the shreds of coconut from falling into the water. About 10–15 minutes of steaming will help with hydration and make the coconut soft. Soaking: You can soak the coconut in hot water until it is soft.

Coconut whipped cream will also soften at room temperature, so if you find that it's getting too warm and melting, just pop it back into the fridge, or freezer briefly, to help it thicken again.