Today I have Kristin of Meringue Bake Shop baking up something real fancy for you guys. Okay.. not too fancy. I asked her for something that real people can bake (not just fabulous bakers/cooks like herself). So read on and make your own delicious pie inspired by my (and her own!) travels to the Hawaiian islands. You should probably hire her for your next event as well since she makes pretty much the tastiest desserts out there.
Also want to thank Tammy for taking all of the pretty pictures while Kristin was doing her thing. She knows her stuff when it comes to making pretty much anything pinterest worthy;)
Thanks Kristin and Tammy! Happy baking.

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 When Lauren asked me to do a guest post for her while she was on vacation, I was happy to do so but what I really wanted was to pack myself into her suitcase. See, I was married in Kauai 9 years ago and have dreamt of going back ever since I boarded the plane to come home. I dream about it EVERY.DAY.

If you've been, you know. If you've never been, please add this place to your life list. You won't regret it. It is perfection. So while Lauren is floating in the beautiful waters of Kauai, I will be stuffing my face with this delicious Coconut Custard Pie. This coconut pie is incredibly easy. A few ingredients, a quick whirl in the blender, pour, bake and done! It forms it's own crust! No rolling, blind baking, cooling. And it tastes good warm and cold. So you don't even have to wait hours before a bite. And you probably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry too!  

To get in the mood, open up Pandora and play the Hawaiian music channel. Search Iz Kamakawiwoʻole. Spray some sunscreen in the air. Turn on your oven to 350F.

List of ingredients: 

1 stick of butter, melted 1 1/2 cups of sugar 4 eggs 1/2 cup of self-rising flour (if you don't have this, make it yourself! For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/4 tsp of baking powder & 1/4 teaspoon of salt. whisk together for a minute) 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut 1 cup of coconut milk 1 cup of whole milk 1 tsp of vanilla or coconut extract
Put melted butter, sugar and eggs in a blender. Blend a few seconds. Add flour, milks, extract and shredding coconut. Blend til combined.

To make two pies, pour into a greased 9" pie plate and fill about half way. To make one pie (as shown), pour into a 9" deep dish pie plate and fill until about 1/2" from the top. You will have some leftover batter. I used it to make some mini pies using a cupcake pan.

Put in the oven at 350F and bake for 20 mins. Ovens vary so just keep an eye on it. You'll smell it when it's ready. It will puff up so don't be alarmed. It sinks down once you take it out of the oven.

       

It's a beauty isn't it? The magic of this pie is that it separates into layers as it bakes. The flour part forms a choux type crust. Then the eggs, sugar and milk create this creamy custard center. And the coconut rises to the top and gets all toasty and crunchy. It's like you slaved over making this delicious pie when it really only took a minute to prepare! I couldn't leave well enough alone though and decided to top it off with a soft whipped cream and a tropical fruit salsa. This was my first time using the shelf-stable whipped cream from Trader Joes. I will admit it kinda weirded my out. But it came out great! If you have a Trader Joes near you, definitely grab some. Just remember to put the box in the fridge a few hours before using.

 The fruit salsa was just something I threw together with fruits I had on hand. So feel free to use whatever you have. This is what I used: Dice up: Half a mango 1 kiwi, peeled a handful of strawberries 4 pineapple rings (i used canned) about 2 tbs of flat leaf parsley Put in a bowl. Then add grated fresh ginger, about an inch. A tablespoon of honey, or to taste and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir it up with a spoon. The coconut custard pie is mildy sweet so the sweet and tart fruit salsa was just the right accompaniment with the soft whipped cream.

    Top it off with some shaved coconut, if you must. I must. You can serve this at room temperature. But it needs to be stored in the fridge. It tastes great cold. Perfect summer treat.

Oh so 'ono.  Try to eat just one piece. I dare ya.

ALL IMAGES BY TAMMY MENDOZA OF DEZ + TAM PHOTOGRAPHY

Read more about Kristin and what she can do here.