Two Pie Sunday

So for the holiday known as Easter i was invited to a feast, and guess what they asked me to bring?  As you may have suspected, i couldn't decide between the two in my mind and so i made both.  Lavender Lemon, and Coconut Cream.
As you can see the lavender lemon was a tart really ( i often prefer to make pies in tart pans partly because my other pie dish is so deep, and partly because i love crust)  This crust was especially delicious as it was made with lavender sugar and real butter, a sticky mess that was more of a cookie dough "pat-in-the-pan" crust.  After the baked crust came out of the oven i sprinkled it with a pinch more of lavender sugar, for good measure. (are you still asking yourself what happened in sentence four where the pie maker of this blog revealed that she only has two pie dishes?  well i have three, one i keep at my boyfriend's house...and i'm working on it okay, get of my back) i proceeded to pour hot lemon curd into this lavender primed crusty business. ( i did in fact add some cream and lavender sugar to the curd as it cooked, cause it seemed right.) After it arrived at the feast i whipped up some cream with lavender sugar in it and topped the pie/tart.  (its true that the host of easter dinner did not mind me using her whipper to whip some cream, because she knows a good pie needs JUST whipped cream)

Regular crust, regular pie dish for coconut cream.  "pie maker, by regular crust do you mean shortening and flour and salt and water?" yeah, i do. But i looked that crust in the eye as it sat there cooling, longing to be filled with coconut goodness and i said "how about some chocolate brushed about you" it nodded in the way pie crusts so often do.  And so it was, this easter pie had a hidden chocolate bottom, if you look closely at the image you will see that i brushed it too far up the sides and the filling does not cover  it.  I'm not worried about that, are you? Do you want the recipie to the filling?  Its really really the best ever?  okay, i will give it to you.
1/2 c shredded coconut toasted
1 c whole milk
3/4 c coconut milk (not water)
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 c flour
3 T cornstarch
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 egg whites

(thats 4 eggs total folks)1 T butter

1 t coconut & vanilla extract

1/2 t almond extract

1/2 c whipped cream

In a bowl, combine milk, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt. In a heavy bottom saucepan, bring mixture slowly to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, pour remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk. Stir in flour, cornstarch, 1 whole egg and the egg yolk. Beat until smooth.
To temper the eggs, pour about 1/4 cup of the boiling mixture into the beaten egg yolks; then gradually pour the egg yolks into the boiling mixture, whisking all the while. Continue to stir until the mixture has thickened (mixture will coat the back of a spoon), it will happen quickly.
Remove the filling mixture from the heat, stir in the butter and flavoring extracts. Gradually add remaining sugar to egg whites while beating until peaks form. Gently fold beaten egg whites into the hot mixture and beat only enough to combine.
Pour filling into the baked pie shell. Generously and evenly top with more whipped cream, and  then sprinkle coconut over the top. TA DA!
get in your kitchen and tell me how it goes.