Brazilian Coconut Pie With Tropical Fruit Food

TROPICAL COCONUT PIE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine 2 cups coconut and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 325° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Toast the remaining coconut; set aside., Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice (discard remaining juice or refrigerate for another use); set pineapple aside. In a saucepan, combine marshmallows and reserved juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until marshmallows are melted. Remove from the heat. Add pineapple, extract and salt; mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until cool., Fold in the whipped cream; spoon into prepared crust. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Refrigerate leftovers.

COCONUT AND TROPICAL FRUIT TRIFLE

Steps:

• To make the coconut custard, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk with the 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the saucepan, then drop in the pod.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and coconut milk until completely smooth. In another small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined.
• When the milk mixture is hot, stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine, then whisk it into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. While whisking constantly, pour about one-third of the hot thickened milk into the egg yolks, then scrape the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, just until the mixture begins to boil (it will be very thick). Remove from the heat and strain into a clean bowl. (The vanilla pod can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose; see page 14.) Stir in the 1 cup (70 g) coconut, and refrigerate until chilled. (To speed up the chilling, you can set the bowl containing the custard in a larger bowl filled with ice water.)
• To make the fruit filling, in a nonreactive skillet, gently cook the pineapple until it is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool completely.
• Add the strawberries, mango, 6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar, lime juice, and rum to the pineapple and toss gently.
• To assemble the trifle, use a 2-quart (2-liter) rectangular baking dish with at least 3-inch (8-cm) sides. Remove the parchment paper from the sponge cake and cut out 2 pieces that each fit in the bottom of the baking dish. (You'll need the cake trimmings, so don't eat them!)
• Spread 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the coconut custard evenly in the bottom of the dish. Place one of the cake pieces on top. Spread half of the fruit filling and some of their juice over the cake.
• Spread about 1 cup (250 ml) of the coconut custard over the fruit, then place the second cake piece on top. Cover the cake with the remaining fruit filling and juice. Spread another 1 cup (250 ml) of the coconut custard over the fruit, and cover with the cake trimmings, fitting them in a single layer.
• Finally, spread the remaining coconut custard over the top and refrigerate, uncovered, for about 30 minutes to firm up the top layer of custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
• Scoop out big spoonfuls of the trifle so all the layers of fruit, cake, and custard can be seen. Strew toasted coconut over the top of each serving. The dessert is delicious by served all by itself, but even better in a pool of Raspberry Sauce (page 246), Mango Sauce (page 246), or Strawberry Sauce (page 248).
• This trifle will keep overnight, but if stored any longer, the juices from the fruit will make the cake too soggy.
• I prefer to use unsweetened coconut, but if you can only find sweetened coconut, reduce the sugar in the custard by 1 1/2 tablespoons.

BRAZILIAN PIE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine pudding, coffee, cocoa, and milk.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a full boil.
• Remove from heat and continue to stir frequently until cool.
• Place plastic wrap directly onto pudding and chill in refrigerator for 1 hours.
• Beat slightly.
• Fold in whipping cream which has been beaten until stiff.
• Pour into pie shell.
• Garnish with sliced almonds.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.