Best Ever Coconut Cream Pie

Quick Note: I made this for Kevin's birthday (he is more of a pie guy than a cake guy). He claims it is the best coconut cream pie he has ever had. And he has had a lot of coconut cream pie. The recipe includes a few terms you may not often use. I have provided a few definitions. Hope that helps. :)

scald: heat until it almost boils
slurry: mixture used as a thickener
temper: adding warm mixture to the egg yolks to bring the eggs closer to the temperature of the mixture they will be added to. This keeps the eggs from immediately cooking and scrambling when they are added to the scalded mixture.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
5 egg yolks
1/4 t salt
1 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
2 t vanilla extract
1 T butter
1 (9-inch) baked pie shell, recipe follows
1/3 cup toasted coconut
Whipped cream for garnish

Preparation
In a nonstick 1-quart saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, coconut milk and 1 cup milk. Scald mixture.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch together to make a slurry. Whisk egg yolks with salt in a medium bowl. Temper yolks by adding 1/2 cup scaled mixture to yolks and whisk well. Add yolk mixture and slurry back into milk mixture and whisk vigorously over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut, vanilla and butter. Whisk until uniformly incorporated.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Cover with pie and plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill the pie completely, about 2 hours.

Pie Shell

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 T sugar
1 t salt
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
6 to 7 T ice cold water

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Mix well. Add the shortening and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water and let sit 1 minute. Either using a fork or your hands, carefully press the mixture to form a soft ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the fridge and place it in on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Gently fold the circle of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold into a 9-inch by 2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Crimp the edges and chill again for 30 minutes before baking.

Bake pie shell until golden, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before using.

Yield: 1 deep dish pie crust

Source: foodnetwork.com; Emeril Lagasse