Ritz Seafood Triple Coconut Cream Pie

Food Network says that Ritz Seafood has the best coconut cream pie, and we tried it while in New Jersey. It was pretty awesome. The recipe is for mini pies, but I think I would make it as one large pie like in this pic:


For the shells:

Yield: Makes Nine 3 1/2-in. fluted pie shells

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 3 to 5 tbsp. ice water

Preparation

1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, coconut, butter, sugar, and salt to form coarse crumbs. Add ice water 1 tbsp. at a time, pulsing after each addition, just until dough holds together when you pinch it (it will still look like crumbs).

2. Turn crumbs out onto counter, form into a ball, and divide into 9 equal parts, forming each into a small disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

3. Unwrap rounds and, working with one disk at a time, set on a lightly floured work surface. With short strokes from center outward, roll dough into a 5-in. circle (about 1/8 in. thick). Transfer dough to brioche mold, letting it fall into place (if you push or stretch the dough, it will shrink back when baked). Trim overhang flush with edge. Prick bottom lightly with a fork. Repeat with remaining rounds and molds. Chill unbaked pie shells for 1 hour before baking.

4. Put an oven rack on lowest rung and preheat oven to 400°. Lay a sheet of parchment paper in each pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Put shells on a cookie sheet and bake until medium golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove beans and parchment paper; return shells to oven. Bake until bottoms of crusts have golden brown patches, about 10 minutes. Let cool before filling.

For the filling:

Note: Pastry cream can be made ahead and kept, refrigerated, for two days; unbaked, formed pastry shells keep, frozen, a few weeks. The baked shells can be filled with the pastry cream several hours ahead, then topped with whipped cream and garnishes just before serving. "Chip"--or large-shred--coconut, which is sold at natural-foods stores and Whole Foods Markets, looks like little curls and makes the prettiest garnish, but regular shredded coconut works just fine. Toast coconut in a 350° oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

Yield: Makes 9 mini pies

Ingredients

• For the coconut pastry cream
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups sweetened finely shredded coconut
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• For the pie
• 9 3 1/2 in. Coconut Pie Shells, baked and cooled
• 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For the garnish
• 1 3-oz. chunk white chocolate, at room temperature
• 1 cup unsweetened "chip" (or large-shred) coconut (see Notes) or 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Preparation

1. Make the pastry cream: Put milk and coconut in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add both seeds and bean to saucepan. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and flour. While whisking, drizzle about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into egg mixture, then slowly whisk egg-milk mixture back into saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking, until pastry cream thickens and begins to bubble, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter, and discard vanilla bean.

3. Spoon hot pastry cream into a bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, stirring occasionally, until cooled to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill until cold, at least 3 hours.

4. Fill the pies: Carefully remove baked shells from brioche molds. Spoon pastry cream into shells, filling each a little more than halfway. With an electric mixer, whip cream with sugar and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (no. 6) with whipped cream and pipe a double layer of cream onto each pie, or simply spoon it on (use all the cream--the pies should look like beehive hairdos).

5. Garnish the pies: With a vegetable peeler, scrape wide curls or shavings from the chunk of white chocolate. Sprinkle curls or shavings over pies, dividing evenly, and top with toasted coconut. Serve immediately.

The site I got the recipe from also includes the nutrition information. But do you really want to see that??? If so, here it is (all others, stop reading!)

Calories:

746 (66% from fat)

Protein:

8.1g

Fat:

55g (sat 36)

Carbohydrate:

57g

Fiber:

2.7g

Sodium:

186mg

Cholesterol:

187mg