Slap Yo Momma Coconut Cream Pie!

I'm going to lapse into food blogger for a minute. I made this pie for my Uncle Steve this morning. He and my Uncle Tony (who will also get a pie) moved a sofa into our new place last night. (Tom is in Chicago--that's why he wasn't moving said sofa. I don't want anyone to think my husband is lazy.) I love cooking for my uncles, especially Steve. He thinks I'm Pie Queen and that's fine by me. Everyone needs to be queen of something.

I took the pie to Steve tonight, and he was supposed to call me with a report, but I haven't heard from him yet. I'd like to think it's because he's in a pie induced coma of coconut bliss. I did have a taste (okay, a couple of big-ass spoonfuls) of the filling, and it was so good that you all should make one, too.

coconut cream pie

3 cups half & half

2 eggs

3/4 c. white sugar

1/3 c. + 2 T. cornstarch

1/4 t. salt

1 c. flaked coconut, toasted

1 t. vanilla extract

1t. + some to taste coconut extract

1-9" pie shell, baked

3 oz. semi sweet choc. chips

Topping:

1-8 oz carton whipping cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. toasted coconut

Bake the pie crust according to whatever recipe or frozen crust that you are using. As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the bottom of the crust with 3 oz. chocolate chips and let melt. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs into the half & half and gradually add the wet stuff to the dry stuff in the pan. Stir like crazy. Bring to a slooow boil and keep stirring like crazy. Cook and stir until it comes to a boil and begins to have the consistency of pudding. Remove from heat. At this point you may need to pour it through a sieve into a bowl. The cornstarch can make little boogers that would be unsavory in your pie. Now, mix in the vanilla and coconut extracts as well as the toasted coconut. Add more or less coconut extract according to your taste. Pour into pie crust and refrigerate for a couple of hours. For the topping, whip the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until it forms stiff peaks. Put it on the pie, and sprinkle with coconut.