a Spring birthday and a triple coconut cream pie

We had a wonderful weekend celebrating my husband's birthday!

Our six and seven-year-old were on Spring break last week, so we enjoyed a lot of down time.

We ventured North to the South Bay area to spend time with my mom for a few days to play and make memories with her and extended family. We had so much fun! It was nice to take a break from the daily grind. We filled our time with lots of family and outdoor play.

When we returned home from our little getaway, we shifted gears to planning a special weekend for 'Daddy's' birthday.

We made new memories with our little ones by venturing North to Los Angeles' Little Ethiopia, where we met friends to enjoy authentic Ethiopian food and fare. I took a ton of photos, of course!

Afterwards, we visited the famous Hansen's Bakery to enjoy cupcakes. I've never seen so many celebrity photos in one place! And the best part . . . their cupcakes are amazing!

We spent the afternoon and evening enjoying great food and the company of our wonderful friends.

I was grateful for a quiet Sunday with my little family. It was the perfect way to end our Spring break.

We spoiled 'Daddy' all day with home-made cards (LOVE those!!), lots of fun family games, and I prepared many of his favorite foods throughout the day . . .

breakfast

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

lemon ricotta poppy-seed & white chocolate waffles

with fresh strawberries
    

old-fashioned honey crinkle cookies

  

dinner

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

lamb shanks 

with a red wine & mushroom sauce

spring salad

roasted sweet potatoes

with whipped butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar

dessert

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

triple coconut cream pie

When I asked my husband what kind of birthday dessert he wanted me to make, he quickly answered, "Coconut Cream Pie!"

I shared this incredible recipe with you last year, when I made it for his birthday for the first time.

It's still one of my top 3 most visited recipes!

I hope that you stop by to read the original post for all the great details . . . and to get the recipe, too!

If you love coconut, then you'll LOVE this pie!!

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triple coconut cream pie with roasted coconut and rum whipped cream

I'm so excited to share this beautiful pie with you.

I made it for my husband's birthday a few weeks ago. He's not much of a cake guy, but he does love pie . . . so we made him a birthday pie . . . a triple coconut cream pie!

It's not your ordinary Coconut Cream pie though . . . this one has coconut throughout it, every layer, even in the crust! If you're a fan of coconut then I know you'll love this recipe, too!

My husband is quite 'particular' (to put it nicely), so when he complimented the pie ~ I knew it was good!

Personally, I don't like the texture of coconut, but I do like the flavor. If you're like me, then omit the roasted coconut . . . and then you, too, can enjoy the creamy coconut custard goodness this pie offers, without the coconut flakes.

This recipe is definitely a keeper! Enjoy!

Ingredients

refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box (I use Trader Joe’s brand)

1 can (13 ½ oz) coconut milk, shaken well

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sweetened shredded or flaked coconut, toasted

1 cup whole milk

½ vanilla bean, split 

2/3 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large egg yolks

¼ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon coconut extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into four pieces

rum whipped cream topping

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, COLD

1 ½ Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons dark rum (or 1 teaspoon vanilla, or 1 teaspoon rum extract)

¼ cup sweetened shredded or flaked coconut, toasted

1 oz white chocolate, shaved

Preparation

Heat oven to 450°F.

Unroll pie crust onto cooking parchment or wax paper. Brush a small amount of coconut milk onto dough (just enough to moisten it). Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of the toasted coconut evenly on dough, then press it lightly into dough, just enough to make it stick.

Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon toasted coconut onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate, then form dough into plate. Prick bottom and side with fork. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Cool.

Heat the remaining coconut milk, the whole milk, 1/2 cup toasted coconut, vanilla bean, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the salt to a simmer in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes to dissolve sugar.

In a separate large bowl, with whisk, beat the egg yolks, remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch until well combined. Gradually beat the simmering liquid into the yolk mixture to temper it, and then return the entire mixture to saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Discard vanilla bean.

Heat the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, beating constantly with whisk, 5 to 6 minutes or until mixture is thickened.

Remove from heat; beat in the coconut extract and butter. Pour into the cooled crust. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling and refrigerate until the filling is cold and firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, beat the cream and sugar in a chilled bowl using electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the rum and continue to beat until slightly stiff peaks are formed. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled filling. Sprinkle 1/4 cup toasted coconut and shaved chocolate over the top. Store in refrigerator.

Look at those vanilla bean specks . . . yum!

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home 

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