Tropical Strawberry Pie

A recipe from the issue of July 2006 of Coup de Pouce. With fresh strawberries.

• Ready In: 48 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2  cups strawberries
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 4  teaspoons cornstarch
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 398  ml pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1 (9 inch)  pie crusts, baked
•  whipped cream
•  coconut flakes, roasted

• Coconut Cream

• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
• 1  dash salt
• 1 1⁄4 cups milk
• 1  cup coconut milk
• 2  egg yolks
• 2  teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Coconut Cream : In a saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. In a bowl, mix milk, coconut milk and egg yolks. Pour this mixture in the saucepan. Cook at medium heat, always stirring, 12 to 15 minutes. Keep cooking at medium-high heat, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture has thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
2. In a fine strainer on a large bowl, strain the cream. Add vanilla. Cover directly the surface of the cream with a plastic wrap. Let cool for 15 minutes at room temperature.
3. In a food processor or blender, chop finely 1 cup of strawberries. In a small saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Add chopped strawberries and water and stir. Cook at medium heat, stirring from time to time, for about 5 minutes or until it's bubbling. Let cool.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix coconut cream and pineapple. Spread uniformly this mixture on the pie crust. Cut the remaining strawberries in half. Beginning by the outside, put the strawberries in 2 or 3 rows on the pineapple mixture. Cover the pie with the cold strawberry mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, without stretching, and put in the fridge for about 3 hours or until the garnish is firm. When ready to serve, garnish each serving with whipped cream and coconut flakes.