Coconut Custards With Strawberries Lime Food

COCONUT CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar, salt and vanilla. Gradually add milk; mix well. Stir in coconut. Place six ungreased 10-oz. ramekins or custard cups in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Fill each with about 3/4 cup coconut mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Fill larger pan with boiling water to a depth of 1 in. Bake at 325° for 30-40 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove ramekins from pan to a wire rack., In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Add raspberries, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; strain if desired. Cool. Serve over custard.

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.

COCONUT LIME CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Adjust rack to lowest level for baking.
• Put all ingredients except the pie shell in a blender. Blend until mixed, and pour into the pie shell.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until set. Cool on rack for 30 minutes and refrigerate until cold before cutting.
• Garnish with sweetened whipped cream, lime peel curls or fruit of your choice.

LIME-COCONUT CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out the pie dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate; fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp as desired.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the coconut oil, half-and-half, 1¼ cups shredded coconut, the sugar, flour, lime juice and all but ½ teaspoon lime zest. Pour into the prepared crust. Bake until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. (Tent the crust with foil if it is browning too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool completely, 1 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, spread the remaining 1 tablespoon shredded coconut on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat the heavy cream and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spoon the whipped cream onto the pie. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and reserved lime zest.