PREPARATIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°. Scald the milk and coconut cream in a heavy saucepan. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar, followed by the flour. Add the 2 cups shredded coconut and whisk until smooth.

Whisk ¼ cup of the scalded milk mixture into the egg mixture to warm it. Whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture remaining in the saucepan. Boil the filling, whisking steadily, until thick and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Transfer the filling to a bowl, dot the top with the butter, and let cool.

Spoon the filling into the coconut crust and let it cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 2 hours.

Whip the cream in a chilled bowl, adding the confectioners' sugar and mm as it thickens. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon the cream into a pastry bag filled with a large star tip. Decorate the top of the pie with rosettes of whipped cream and sprinkle evenly with the toasted coconut. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to serve.

Note: Canned coconut cream tends to solidify when cold. If the coconut cream is too hard to pour, set the can in a bowl of hot water to warm it.

Toasting Coconut

To toast shredded coconut, spread the coconut on a baking sheet, place it in a preheated 350° oven, and brown, stirring frequently for 5 to 8 minutes.

*Excerpted from Steven Raichlen's MIAMI SPICE. Copyright© 1993 by Steven Raichlen. Used by permission of Workman Publishing Co., Inc., New York. All Rights Reserved.