Another Kind of Southern Comfort

The last time we made trip through southwestern Virginia on Interstate 81, we discovered the charms and good tastes of Mrs. Rowe's. We decided that no trip though this part of the country could be complete without a visit. This time we didn't stop for dinner, but we did pick up some of her justly famous pie. Choice is always difficult when faced with such variety of goodness, but we settled on Coconut Cream Pie which we later discovered is the most popular desert here. It's not often we run with the crowd.

Coconut Cream Pie

Molly Cox Bryan has published the secrets of this and other glorious pies in her book Mrs. Rowe's little book of Southern Pies. If you are a baker of pies, this book should be in your library.

MRS. ROWE'S ORIGINAL COCONUT CREAM PIE

1. 1/2 recipe Pie Pastry or Vinegar Pie Crust
2. 3 egg yolks
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 1/4 cup cornstarch
5. 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
6. 3 cups whole milk
7. 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
8. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
9. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10. 1 recipe Mrs. Rowe's Meringue

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Stir together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and just enough of the water to make a smooth paste. Heat the milk in a double boiler set over simmering water. When the milk begins to steam, gradually whisk in the egg mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut, the butter, and the vanilla.

Pour the filling into the crust and top with the meringue, sealing the edges well. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup coconut over the meringue.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the meringue is olden brown and it's firm to the touch. cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before slicing. Serve the pie at room temperature.

VINEGAR PIE CRUST

The head note for this recipe says "The vinegar in this crust is a flavorless stabilizer, making the dough more forgiving and patchable. In addition to being easy to work with, it also tastes great--even butter-loving pastry fans enjoy the flavor."

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/2 teaspoons salt
3. 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
5. 1 egg lightly beaten
6. 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until it is the size of small peas. Add the vinegar, egg, and just enough ice water to moisten the dry ingredients.

Form the dough into 2 equal balls, then flatten into disks. Roll out the crusts right away or wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to a thickness of 1/8 inch.

To prebake an empty crust preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Press 1 rolled-out crust into a 9- or 10-inchpie plate. Line with parchment paper and weight the crust down with dry beans or pie weights to keep the crust from bubbling or shrinking. Bake for 10 minutes until firm and lightly browned. Take the crust out of the oven and carefully remove the pie weights. Place the crust back into the oven. To parbake the crust, remove it from the oven after 10 to 20 minutes, when you first see a golden hue to the crust. To fully bake the crust, continue baking until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes more.

 

MRS. ROWE'S MERINGUE

1. 4 egg whites at room temperature
2. 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3. 3 tablespoons sugar

Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a chilled bowl and beat with an electric mixer on slow to medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue beating on slow to medium speed until the whites form stiff peaks but aren't dry. the meringue is now ready to pile lightly over a pie.

 

This was worth every calorie.