Connie's Fabulous Macadamia Coconut Cream Pie with Caramel Drizzle

By WheretheMagicHappens

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 3/4 cup Macadamia Nuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Flour
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
• Filling:
• 1-1/4 cups Half and Half
• 1-1/4 cups Coconut Milk
• 1 cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut(use soft finely flaked coconut only)
• 3/4 cup White Sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Coconut Extract
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 cup Whipping Cream, unwhipped

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 105mins
Adapted from coniinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter your pie pan and set aside. Combine the nuts, brown sugar and flour in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Dump the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and incorporate well. Mix with a fork and then with your hands, rubbing everything together until butter is incorporated.

Spread the crumbs evenly and loosely in the pie pan, pressing them into the bottom and up the side. Bake for 6-10 minutes. Refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Place on the center oven rack and bake for 7 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before filling.

In a saucepan, heat half and half with the coconut milk over medium heat, until steaming.

In a large bowl, whisk 1/2 cup sugar with the cornstarch; whisk in the eggs until blended.

Gradually mix in hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to thin, in a steady stream.

Return the mixture to saucepan; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until thickened to pudding consistency.

Transfer to a bowl; stir in coconut extract and vanilla then mix in 1 cup coconut. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding mixture; refrigerate until cool.

In a bowl, whip whipping cream with 1/4 cup of the remaining sugar to soft peaks.

Set 1-1/2 cups of the whipped cream aside to use for topping.

Fold the remaining whipped cream into the cooled filling; spread into pie shell.

Using a piping bag, or with a spoon, garnish top with reserved whipping cream.

Sprinkle top with chopped macadamia nuts (first, if desired) and large toasted coconut curls.

When serving, drizzle with caramel sauce if desired.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until set or for up to 1 day