Recipe(tried): Another Coconut Pie Recipe

It is well worth the extra work it takes to prepare the fresh coconut for this pie. It won Best of Division (pie) and Best of Show (over all other Divisions of cakes, pies, breads, cookies, etc.) each time I entered it in the fair (2 different years). Enjoy!

Fresh Coconut Cream Pie
from Sunset Cook Book of Favorite Recipes, 1970

How to Crack a Coconut
Puncture the eyes at the end of the coconut and drain off the liquid. Put in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Place the hot coconut on a hard surface and hit hard with a hammer; the coconut will readily come apart into large pieces. Pry out the meat with an old table knife (I use a wide blade screw driver) remove brown skin with a potato peeler, rinse, and dry on paper towels. One coconut will produce 3 to 4 cups grated meat.

Now that you know how to crack a coconut, here is the pie recipe:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. almond extract (don't leave out, it's the secret ingredient to this delicious pie)
1 cup grated fresh coconut
9-inch baked pie shell
1/2 cup whipping cream (I like to use more)
Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup of the milk. Blend sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-sized pan; gradually stir in remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.
Remove from heat, beat egg yolks slightly, and stir a small amount of the hot liquid into the egg yolks. Add the egg yolk mixture to the remaining hot milk mixture, return to heat, and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and blend in the softened gelatin, butter, and flavorings; cool until lukewarm. Beat egg whites* until stiff but not dry; fold egg whites with 3/4 cup of the coconut into the cooled custard. Pour into the pie shell and chill. Just before serving, whip cream, sweeten to taste, and spread over coconut filling. Garnish with remaining coconut.
This pie not only tastes delicious, it is also a beautiful pie.
*Take the necessary steps suggested by the food industry when using uncooked egg
whites or use powdered egg whites.