For the past two school years my closest colleague and companion in the classroom has been my lead teacher. She agreed to take a chance on me despite my lack of professional experience or credentials and hired me on to be her assistant in her classroom.
Over the last two years, we have been together through the trenches and the triumphs of the preschool, and we have become friends. We share our troubles with each other and offer help where we can, our sons are on the others’ birthday party guest lists, and we know each other’s drink orders for our not so occasional morning treat.
Lindsey is a southern woman with a sweet accent and hilarious southern sass. We have lived very different lives and have some different views, but we always get along because like she told me once, “it’s about the heart,” and she has a great one.
She fights fiercely for justice and loudly defends the voiceless and unempowered. She not only teaches classroom skills and early academics, self-help skills, and play skills, she teaches fairness, compassion, integrity, and perseverance to our tiny students. She has a strong sense of community and believes it is our moral duty to be a helpful neighbor and an honest citizen, and she practices what she preaches through generous acts of hard work and sacrifice.
This week, the last week of school, will likely be the last that I will work with her. She is moving on to a new opportunity elsewhere, and I’m hoping she will love her new role as much as she has loved our preschool. I will receive the next teacher with an open mind and a heart with an empty spot, and I’ll be sure to send her son an invitation to the next birthday party.
To send her off and to thank her for her mentorship and all the laughs, I made her one of her favorite desserts — coconut cream pie. This decadent pie is made with rich coconut milk, a pile of sweetened whipped cream, and a whole lot of love.
Coconut Cream
Ingredients:
For the custard
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup half and half
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (divided)
For the whipped cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Use a premade pie shell or make your own pie dough enough for one 9-inch pie base.
Blind bake your pie crust until golden and allow to cool completely before continuing.
Spread your sweetened coconut flakes on a parchment lined baking tray and roast in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, checking frequently for doneness, until the coconut is browned.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, half and half, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
Set over medium heat and whisk continuously until the mixture boils and thickens. This will take quite a bit of time, but it is important to continuously whisk to create a smooth, uniform, lump-free texture, so do not walk away from the pan.
When the mixture begins to boil it will thicken into a pudding-like consistency. When it gets to this stage, turn off the heat.
Stir in the vanilla extract and about ¾ of the toasted, cooled coconut flakes.
Pour into the baked and cooled pie crust, tap on the counter to settle the custard, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
To make the whipped cream combine the cold heavy whipping cream, vanilla and sugar in a chilled mixing bowl and whip until stiff.
Spoon the whipped cream onto the thoroughly chilled custard and use your spoon to create artful swoops on the top.
Sprinkle the remaining coconut flakes onto the top and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Keep refrigerated for up to one week.
