FEEDS 8
When I was a kid, my father’s mother, Dorothy, used to take me to Howard Johnson’s to get lunch and pie. (At the time, Jacques Pépin worked for the chain, which is pretty incredible.) I loved their fried clams, hot dogs, and coconut cream pies, which are the inspiration for these. I put them in jars; that way they can be closed up and moved easily, and they’re fun to serve.
You will need eight 6- or 8-ounce canning jars, preferably with lids. Alternatively, you can use short drinking glasses. You will also need a cookie cutter slightly smaller than the bottom of the jars or glasses you are using to cut the bottom crusts.
1/2 recipe SWEET TART DOUGH
For the Custard
21/2 cups UNSWEETENED COCONUT MILK
2/3 cup toasted UNSWEETENED SHREDDED COCONUT, plus more for garnish
4 large EGG YOLKS
2/3 cup SUGAR
3 tablespoons all-purpose FLOUR
2 tablespoons CORNSTARCH
1/4 teaspoon KOSHER SALT
2 tablespoons UNSALTED BUTTER, softened
1 teaspoon pure VANILLA EXTRACT
For the Whipped Cream
11/2 cups HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM
2 tablespoons SUGAR
1/2 teaspoon pure VANILLA EXTRACT
3 large ripe but firm BANANAS
To make the crusts, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Press the dough out on the baking sheet to 1/4 inch thick. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the dough from the oven and set it aside for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is cool enough to touch. Using a cookie or biscuit cutter just smaller than the bottom of the jars you are making these in, cut out 8 disks to fit the bottom of the jars. Set the disks aside and crumble the remaining crust. Let the crust cool completely, then use or store it in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to assemble the pie, or for up to several hours.
To make the custard, combine the coconut milk and 1/3 cup of the coconut in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat until bubbles start to form around the edges of the milk; don’t let it come to a boil. Turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and beat on high speed until the mixture thickens and increases to three times the volume, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix on low speed to thoroughly combine. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the hot coconut milk mixture and continue to beat until incorporated. Pour the custard back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until very thick and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and stir in the butter, vanilla, and the remaining 1/3 cup coconut. Pour the custard into a glass baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until it is chilled, at least 1/2 hour, or up to overnight.
To make the whipped cream, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and whip until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spoon three-quarters of the whipped cream into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
Add the chilled custard to the remaining cream and whip just to combine.
To assemble the puddings, drop a disk of crust into each jar or glass. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the custard on top of the disk, slice three 1/4-inch-thick banana slices into each jar, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of crumbled crust. Repeat twice, using 2 tablespoons custard, 3 banana slices, and 1 tablespoon crumbled crust each time. After you’ve built three layers in each jar or glass, top each with 2 tablespoons of custard. Close the jars and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to several hours.
Just before serving, top each “pie” with a dollop of whipped cream.