Marston’s Tea Room Fresh Coconut Cream Pie

Marston’s Tea Room, designed by Sam Hamill, opened in 1955 against a backdrop of antique Japanese screens. Famous for its Fresh Coconut Cream Pie, the restaurant reprinted the recipe in a small cookbook for the tea room’s fifth anniversary. We reprint the recipe here. SOHO will be serving this pie at the opening of the Marston’s department store exhibit in August (see March issue for more). Friends of the Marston House volunteer, Kimberly McKean, baked one for our photo shoot.

Fresh Coconut Cream Pie
Makes one pie
Prepare: one baked 9-inch pie shell

Photography by Stacy Keck

Filling:

• • 2/3 c. cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1 1/2 t. salt
  • 1 qt. scalded milk
  • 4 egg yolks, beaten
  • 2 T. butter
  • 1 1/2 t. vanilla
  • 2/3 c. coarsely chopped, fresh coconut (not packaged)
  • 1 c. whipped cream, slightly sweetened

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt and add it to the scalded milk, stirring until thickened and smooth.

Add a little of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, then slowly stir the egg yolks into the hot mixture.

Cook 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Add butter and vanilla and set aside to cool.

Add 1/3 c. coconut to the cooled filling and pour the filling into the pie shell.

Spread whipped cream over the filling and sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Chill well before serving.