Coconut Chiffon Pie

This delicious pie is lighter than a custard or cream pie.

Ingredients:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
1 envelope Dr. Oetker "Whip It" (optional)
2/3 cup flaked coconut
9 inch baked pie crust
whipped cream
additional 1/2 cup coconut (if desired)

Method:
Prepare pie crust. In a medium saucepan, mix gelatin with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Beat egg yolks with milk. Blend with gelatin mixture and let stand for 1 minute. Stir over low heat ubtil the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add vanilla and coconut extracts. Pour into a large bowl and chill, stirring occasionally, just until the mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar and Whip It, if desired.

Continue to beat until stiff. Fold egg whites, then coconut, into the gelatin mixture. Spread evenly into prepared crust. Chill until firm and completely set.

If desired, make toasted coconut. Preheat oven to 350*. Sprinkle additional coconut on a cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool completely. Garnish pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut. Makes 6 servings.

Notes: 
I think the pie would look more impressive if the entire pie were topped with the whipped cream and toasted coconut. Some like their pie without whipped cream, so I garnish individual servings, as each desires, with the cream and coconut.
I prefer a regular pastry crust, because it does not add any sweetness, but a crumb crust can be used instead. If the filling is spooned into dessert cups before it sets, you would not need a crust at all! (Fresh raspberries would pair nicely with the coconut chiffon.)

Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup of 1/2 butter & 1/2 shortening

3 - 4 tablespoons chilled water

Method:

Preheat oven to 450*. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, or two knives, cut in butter and shortening until pieces are the size of small pies. Next, use your fingers to continue mixing until the flour resembles cornmeal. 

Sprinkle one tablespoon of the water over a part of the flour mixture and gently toss with a fork.  Push to side of bowl. Repeat until all of the flour is moistened. Form the dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough with your hands. Roll dough from the center to the edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll from pin over a 9 inch pie pan. Ease dough into the pie pan, while being careful not to stretch the pastry. Trim dough to a 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate, folding under extra pastry around the edge. Use fingers to pinch dough into a scalloped edge. Generously prick the bottom and sides of dough with the tines of a fork. Bake for 10 -15 minutes, until light golden brown. Place on a rack to cool.