I was compensated for this post by REAL® Seal, but all thoughts and opinions are exclusively mine.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner for us American folk and let’s be honest here – the best part about Thanksgiving is the pies, am I right!? Everybody needs a good old fashioned coconut cream pie in their life and after over a year of searching, I’ve finally found my favorite one! It has just the right amount of coconut and creaminess in the center and to make things even better, it has a gingersnap crust!
With so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, including my family, my religion, my friends, a roof over my head, a beautiful place to live…I could really go on and on here, I can’t help but think about how blessed I am to have something so simple as delicious food to eat that I seem to take for granted so often. I’m sure there are people in parts of the world that can’t even fathom being picky and yet, sometimes I tend to be just that.
On top of being blessed with the luxury of food to pick and choose from, we can take it one step further and look at how blessed we are to have quality food as an option, such as REAL® Seal dairy products, rather than having to settle for mediocrity.
According to the REAL® Seal website, “Milk is the No. 1 food source for three of the four nutrients identified by the federal government as falling short in the diets of both children and adults.” There are so many substitutes and alternatives for milk these days, which is great for those that need it, but it’s no wonder there’s a lack in these nutrients! The REAL® Seal lets you know you’re buying a genuine dairy product, not an imitation or substitute. It guarantees you are benefiting from the many nutrients associated with products made with milk form cows on U.S. farms.
With that being said, I was able to incorporate some REAL® Seal products into this recipe and trust me when I say that you will not be disappointed!
Coconut Cream Pie with Gingersnap Crust
Recipe adapted from Food Network
Makes 1 9-inch pie
Ingredients:Crust:
- 30 gingersnap cookies
- 5 Tbsp. salted butter, melted {Look for the REAL® Seal!}
Filling:
- 3 cups half and half {Look for the REAL® Seal!}
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. salted butter {Look for the REAL® Seal!}
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Topping:
- 1 cup whipping cream {Look for the REAL® Seal!}
- 2 Tbsp. white sugar
- 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- CRUST: Place the gingersnaps in a food processor and pulse until fine. In a small bowl, combine gingersnap crumbs and butter and mix until crumbs are fully coated. Press firmly to the bottom and up the sides of a deep dish 9 inch pie pan. Bake 10 minutes and let cool completely.
- FILLING: In a medium saucepan, combine the half and half, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla and mix until smooth and cornstarch is dissolved. Place on medium heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Once the mixture becomes thick like pudding, remove from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 cup coconut.
- Pour the mixture into the cooled pie shell and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
- TOPPING: Using a stand or hand mixer, combine the whipping cream and sugar and beat over medium-high heat until stiff peaks form. Don’t over-beat! Set aside.
- Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/3 cup coconut on a small baking sheet and broil on low for about 5 minutes. Check periodically to make sure coconut doesn’t burn. Broil until lightly browned.
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the pie filling and top with toasted coconut.
- Refrigerate until serving.
I hope you will take the time to visit the REAL® Seal website and learn about some of the benefits of their products yourself! Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!
-Sarah
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