Banana-Coconut Cream Pie
(from Cat Cora's Kitchen Cookbook)
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
7 Tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter
cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
2 Tbsp. ice water
vegetable oil for greasing
Filling:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cups shredded, sweetened, dried coconut, plus 2 Tbsp.
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
pinch of kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tsp. unsalted butter
1 banana, thinly sliced
Topping:
3/4 cup 96 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 drops vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
To make the crust,combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the sugar, and the salt in a food processor, and pulse just twice. Add the butter and shortening to the processor and pulse until the mixture forms crumbs the size of peas. Slowly add the water until the crumbs appear moist.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press into a flat disk. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. After an hour or more, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface into a round 12 inches in diameter, and about 1/8 inch thick. Gently pick up the dough, and drape it over a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. Fit the foil gently into the chilled pie crust, oil side down. reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. fill the pan with pie weights or dried beans over the foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and beans, reduce the heat to 325, and bake until the shell is golden brown and cooked through...5-8 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack.
To make the filling, heat the milk and the 1/2 cup coconut together in a saucepan just until small bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan. Take care not to scald the milk. Remove the pan from the heat, and let the milk steep for 20 minutes. Strain, pressing the liquid out of the coconut. Discard the coconut. In a bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks, and then add the 2 Tbsp. flour, the cornstarch, and the salt. reheat the coconut milk gently and temper into the yolk mixture. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. remove from the heat. Stir in the 2 Tbsp. coconut, the vanilla, and the butter.
Arrange the banana slices in the bottom of the prebaked pie crust, and immediately pour the filling over the top before the slices can brown. Allow the pie to cool for 2-3 hours.
To make the topping, whisk together the mascarpone, vanilla, confectioner's sugar, and 2/3 cup of the cream until soft peaks form. Add the remaining cream and gently whisk until the cream holds firm peaks. Spoon the cream immediately onto the cooled pie, cut into wedges and serve. Serves 8-10.
