Coconut Cream Pie

9" coconut pie crust, cooled
1 cup medium coconut
3 eggs
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. coconut cream powder
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Topping:
1 cup whipping cream, chilled
1 Tbsp. icing sugar

Spread coconut onto a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool.
In a stainless steel saucepan, heat milk to almost boiling.
Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cornstarch, sugar and coconut cream powder in a large bowl.
Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture. When all of milk is added, return mixture back to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and begins to bubble.
Take saucepan off heat and whisk in vanilla and butter. Stir in half of toasted coconut.
Pour mixture into a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap or waxed paper. Cool and refrigerate.
To assemble pie, spread coconut custard into pie crust.
Whip cream with sugar until stiff then spread over custard layer. Sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Makes one 9" pie (6 to 8 servings)