Momma's Cream pie

My Momma makes the BEST pie in the world! I have her recipe for Coconut Cream Pie and Chocolate Meringue Pie, and I'm going to share it with you privileged people.



Her recipe makes one deep dish, or two regular pies. I opted to make one of each just like she does. So the recipe below is for one chocolate and one coconut.

You can use fancier chocolate if you want. You can make your crust from scratch, I didn't. Mine came from the freezer section. Shhhh, don't tell my mother.

I HAD to make these to practice for Thanksgiving. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!

Momma's Cream Pie

• 3 c. milk (I used one can of evaporated + some regular milk)
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 4 Tab. flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs yolks (save whites)
  
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tab. butter
• 1c. coconut (reserve 2 Tab. for top)
  
• 3 rounded Tab. unsweetened cocoa
• 2 baked, regular pie shells (prick around on the crust with a fork before baking)
  

In a large saucepan whisk together the sugar, salt and flour. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks. Cook on medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens nicely. Turn off burner. Stir in the vanilla and butter. Divide filling. Stir cocoa into just enough hot water to make a thick paste. Stir chocolate paste into 1/2 of the filling and pour into one baked pie shell. Sir coconut into the other 1/2, saving a little coconut for top of meringue.

Meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 1tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  
• 6 Tab. sugar

In small glass bowl beat egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar for about 1 minute with electric mixer. Add one Tab. sugar at a time while beating. Beat about 5 more minutes, or until it forms peaks, and you get all the sugar grains dissolved.

Spread 1/2 of the meringue on each pie, smoothing to sides to seal edges. You can swirl or lightly "spank" the scraper on the surface to make curls.

Sprinkle a little coconut on top of the coconut pie's meringue.

Bake at 350 until meringue is lightly browned and set.



My meringue is never very high. Maybe yours will look better. Momma says if you use a plastic bowl you're doomed to failure. She also says if you get even a speck of egg yolk in your whites they won't beat up high.

If you can wait until the pies cool before you cut them, that's good. We didn't. That's why the picture is so nice. Hey, this isn't the Food Network, this is real life! It tastes wonderful warm.