Tropical Paradise Cream Pie
- Serves: 4 – 8
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Total Cooking time: 15 minutes(can be done 24 hours in advance)
I happen to be a big fan of coconut cream pie, as well as its culinary cousin banana cream pie, so the next logical step to me was why not make a combination of the two? And going a step further, why not make it a more tropical dessert, adding in some tropical dried fruits for added color and flavor? Thus the tropical paradise cream pie was born. This is a wonderful twist on dessert that is easy to make and very pleasing to the eye as having the added advantage of being minimal preparation time. Try making this with your children, just bake the pie shells ahead of time and mix the fruit with the rest of the filling and then let the fun begin! Oh — and don’t forget to let them lick the spoon when its all said and done, because face it, when you are a kid, that is the best part of the whole cooking experience.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 9″ | frozen pie shells |
| 4 | cups | prepared instant vanilla (or white chocolate) pudding |
| 1 | cup | shredded sweetened coconut 2 tablespoons reserved and toasted |
| 3 | bananas | peeled and sliced ¼” thick |
| 1/4 | cup | dried red papaya, diced |
| 1/4 | cup | dried mango slices, diced |
| 1/2 | cup | dried pineapple diced |
| 1/4 | tsp | lemon or lime zest |
| 2 | tablespoons | coconut rum (optional) |
| 12 | ounces | whipped topping |
To prepare:
Prepare pie crusts by lining with a sheet of parchment paper, filling the shell with dried beans or pre made pie weights and baking in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes then remove the dried beans and parchment and bake another 7-8 minutes until golden brown (note, this method is called Blind Baking and is specifically for baking pie crusts for cool cream based pies). Set pie crusts aside and let cool (this step can be done up to one day ahead of time). In a large mixing bowl combine the coconut, banana slices, dried fruit and citrus zest until well mixed. Fold in the instant pudding and rum, mixing all ingredients together well. Divide equally between the two pie shells and top with the whipped topping. Sprinkle the reserved toasted coconut on top for garnish and refrigerate at least 1 hour to chill. Serve cold in small slices.
