Individual Coconut Cream Pies From 'Mother Daughter Dishes'

1. 1

   Add enough broken vanilla wafers to cover the bottoms of 6 individual ramekins and set aside.

2. 2

   To make the custard, add sugar, cornstarch and salt. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients and remove the lumps. Then add milk and egg yolks and whisk to blend the ingredients completely.

3. 3

   Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue stirring and allow to boil for 1 minute then remove the pan from heat-the custard should have started to form and thickened quite a bit. Then stir in the coconut, vanilla extract and butter.

4. 4

   Next, distribute the mixture evenly among the ramekins. Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and cool the pies completely in the fridge.

5. 5

   To make the meringue, first check to make sure there's not a speck of yolk left in your egg whites. Then whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a perfectly clean, grease-free bowl on high speed, until foam begins to form.

6. 6

   Slowly begin adding sugar while beating on high speed for several minutes, until stiff peaks form and all of the sugar is incorporated-the meringue should be fluffy and glossy.

7. 7

   Once you've made the meringue, remove the plastic wrap from the ramekins and pipe or spoon the meringue on top of the filling. Sprinkle the top of the meringue with toasted coconut and serve. Everyone will think you've been slaving away in the kitchen all day!

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.