Coconut pie shell
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for pie plate
- 3 cups sweetened flake coconut
- Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
Step 1Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the coconut flakes, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. They should be golden brown. Press the coconut firmly and evenly in the pan to form a shell. Chill the crust 30 minutes before filling.
Pie filling
- 4 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups half-and-half, divided
- Yellow food coloring
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 bananas
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Step 1Combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, salt and flour in a small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of the half-and-half.
Step 2Combine the remaining 2 cups half-and-half and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a 3-quart saucepan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook and stir until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute.
Step 3Remove from the heat. Stir in 2 drops of food coloring and the vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool.
Step 4Slice the bananas into the pie shell. Pour the filling into the shell.
Step 5Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff. Spoon in dollops or pipe with a pastry bag around the edge of the pie. Chill 2 hours before slicing.