Sweet, sweet, the desserts that you gave to me

We are already well into January of a new year and most of us have been busy with chores that we put off during the holidays. During this time, your faithful correspondent has been thinking up recipes to make 2010 fun and exciting for your dinner parties or quiet evenings at home.

We have many options during the winter months, from dishes that warm your souls and fill your stomachs to sweet, sweet desserts that are pleasurable to view as well as to taste. We’ll explore all these possibilities. But I’ve decided to offer up a dessert.


This dessert is a coconut cheesecake. I found the recipe in the Fresno Bee in 1996, but it took me 14 years to get around to baking it. I decided to try it for one of our Christmas Day desserts this season and was very pleasantly suprised. I wasn't sure I would like the texture of coconut in a cheesecake (which is suppose to be smooth and creamy) but was delicious.

This recipe was submitted from Joanne Harland when Harland's Restaurant was at its peak. I'm so glad I hung onto it all these years. So were the cheesecake lovers in the family.

COCONUT CHEESECAKE

CRUST:
1 package macaroon cookies, crushed
3 Tbsp. melted butter

Combine crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan, which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Chill the crust while preparing the filling.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

FILLING:
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 (15 ounce) can cream of coconut
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Beat first 4 ingredients until well blended, add cream of coconut, cream and coconut. Beat just until blended. Pour into crust. Bake until puffed and golden, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, cool completely. Refrigerate until well chilled.

The best coconut thing I ever ate

OMG! I just ate a piece of coconut cream pie that made me think I had died and gone to heaven. It's called triple coconut cream pie because it has flaked coconut, coconut milk, and coconut extract in the filling. Even the crust is laced with coconut.

You might think this is a coconut overkill, but it isn't overpowering at all. The filling is very light and fresh-tasting.

I saw this pie on the food network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. In this show celebrity chefs talk about… well, the best thing they ever ate. This coconut pie recipe was created by Tom Douglas at Dahlia Bakery in Seattle.

This pie is more time consuming to make than most of my recipes, but if you have the time and like coconut, you've got to try this pie.

TRIPLE COCONUT CREAM PIE

Pastry Shell
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and frozen for 10 minutes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons ice water

Filling
• 1 (13 1/2 ounce) can coconut milk, well stirred (NOT cream of coconut!)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 vanilla bean, split (can substitute 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (optional, but highly recommended)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Topping
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, well chilled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dark rum (optional)
• 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
• 1 ounce white chocolate, shaved

Directions

For Pie Shell:

Process flour, salt, sugar & coconut together in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add butter and pulse until butter is size of large peas, about five to seven one-second pulses.

Using fork, mix sour cream and ice water in small bowl until combined. Add half of sour cream mixture to flour mixture; pulse for two 1-second pulses. Repeat with remaining sour cream mixture.

Pinch dough with fingers; if dough is floury, dry and does not hold together, add 1 to 2 teaspoons ice water (start with less), and process until dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, two to three one-second pulses.

Flatten into 4-inch disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm but not too hard, 1 to 2 hours, before rolling. You may also place wrapped disks in freezer bags and refrigerate for up to two days, or freeze up to six months. Simply bring to a pliable (but cold!) temperature before rolling out.

Place in 9-inch pie plate, trim and flute edges, and cover with foil. Fill foil to top rim with pie weights or dry beans.

Blind bake pie shell at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce temperature to 350. Remove pie weights and foil, and bake at 350 an additional 10-20 minutes, or until shell is golden brown--not just "blonde." Let cool completely.

For Filling:

Bring the coconut milk, milk, coconut, vanilla bean, 1/3 cup sugar and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally witha wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar.

When the mixture reaches a simmer, whisk the egg yolks to break them up, then whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch until well combined and no lumps remain.

Gradually whisk the simmering liquid ino the yolk mixture to temper it, then return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Vanilla bean can be discarded at this time.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened, about 30 seconds.

Off the heat, whisk in the coconut extract (and vanilla if you're subbing) and butter. Pour the filling 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.

For the topping:

When ready to serve, beat the cream and sugar in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed to soft peaks; add the vanilla and rum, if using. Continue to beat to barely stiff peaks. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled filling. Sprinkle the toasted flaked coconut and shaved chocolate over the whipped cream. Serve.