This week in the kitchen with Sharon is my friend and great cook and baker Patricia Nichols. I asked if she had any recipes to share with us since we are going into the holidays. And did she ever have recipes. Patricia sent me several — probably enough to last a year. Yay!
You won’t want to miss any of her recipes. Thank you so much Patricia. I love your recipes and so will our readers. Keep them coming.
OLE-FASHION COCONUT CREAM PIE
Pie crust recipe at bottom
INGREDIENTS — 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut; 3 cups half-and-half; 2 eggs, beaten; 3/4 cup white sugar; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked; 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed,
DIRECTIONS — Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown — about 5 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine the half & half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and vanilla. Reserve remaining coconut for top of pie. Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm — about 4 hours. Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut.
Single Pie Crust Recipe (can be doubled ) — Ingredients — 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour; plus extra 1 tablespoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons shortening, chilled; 5 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into pieces; 4-6 tablespoons ice water — Must be ice cold
DIRECTIONS — Stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the shortening and butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Freeze your butter before hand, then grate it into the flour mixture before cutting it in with the pastry cutter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Using a fork, gently stir the water in to the flour mixture, then repeat with the remaining water, adding only 2 tablespoons at a time, just until the dough starts to come together. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then allow the chilled dough to sit on the counter to soften slightly for 10 minutes before rolling out. Roll out to fit over pie shell.
Note — I pierce with a fork to prevent bubbling.
Sharon Hughes is the advertising manager at The Times-Gazette. She is also a mother, grandmother and chef.
