Old Fashioned Coconut Pie

The perfect recipe for classic, old fashioned baked coconut custard pie that's both creamy and chewy in all the best ways!

Well, here I am again. With a coconut recipe. I know, I know, I know… I have a gozillion coconut recipes but how can I call myself a coconut connoisseur, or a reliable food blogger, or a Southerner for that matter without a good, old-fashioned recipe for coconut pie?

Before I tell you about this pie, let me tell you how I came to the recipe. Mama has worked for a local jewelry store since before I was born. And so have many of the ladies who work there. They are all like my aunties.

They congratulated me when I graduated high school and college, they came to my bridal and baby showers and they were as excited about my adventure to New York with Food Network as I was! They are my cheer leaders and I love them all.

A few years ago, these aunties of mine published a cookbook of their collective favorite recipes. Since many of Mama’s are in there, I go to it often. I pulled it out to look for a coconut pie recipe and Mama had two.

And I had to laugh at the names.

The first is simply called Coconut Pie. The next is called Good Coconut Pie. Hmmm. Well, which one should I make? Oh, I’m thinking I should go with the good one.

When I asked her why she bothered putting two in there if she only thought one was good she just laughed and told me to hush up.

And if your mama's anything like mine, that's an acceptable answer. Or you better let it be anyway.

I decided to blend the two recipes because they both looked good to me. Maybe I should call mine Better Coconut Pie. And if I ever improve it I can call it Best Coconut Pie and then well have the market cornered. Ha! Regular, Good, Better and Best!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 9-inch pie pastries
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons coconut extract
• 1 14-ounce bag sweetened flaked coconut (about 4 cups)

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