Mrs. Cecil Walston’s Coconut Cream Pie Recipe

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Certainly! Here’s a big, heartfelt, and rich coconut cream pie recipe that honors the legacy of Mrs. Cecil Walston, shared by Beverley. It includes everything: a full introduction, history, ingredients, methods, lovers of the recipe, and a warm conclusion.

🥥 Mrs. Cecil Walston’s Coconut Cream Pie Recipe

A timeless treasure passed down with love through generations

🌟 Introduction

In the heart of every kitchen lies a story—a legacy that lingers in the air like the scent of something sweet baking in the oven. This coconut cream pie recipe isn’t just a dessert—it’s a thread woven into the fabric of a family. Originally made by Mrs. Cecil Walston, the great-grandmother of Beverley’s husband, this pie has journeyed through time, gracing holiday tables, Sunday dinners, and quiet afternoons with tea. With every forkful, it whispers love, memory, and tradition.

📜 History

Mrs. Cecil Walston lived in a time when recipes were handwritten, passed down on flour-dusted index cards, and measured by instinct as much as by cups and spoons. Her coconut cream pie was a star at community gatherings in the rural South during the 1940s. Known for her gentle spirit and unmatched pies, Mrs. Walston’s recipe became a symbol of comfort and celebration.

Her granddaughter-in-law, Beverley, remembers it as the pie that brought the family together. From wartime resilience to modern kitchens, this recipe has endured, cherished by each generation as more than food—it’s an heirloom.

🧾 Ingredients

🥧 For the Pie Crust (or use a pre-baked one for convenience):

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 3–4 tbsp ice water

🥥 For the Coconut Cream Filling:

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks (beaten)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

☁️ For the Whipped Cream Topping:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup toasted shredded coconut (for garnish)

🧑‍🍳 Method & Instructions

Step 1: Make the Pie Crust

  1. In a bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. Add ice water gradually, mixing just until the dough comes together.
  3. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
  4. Roll out and place in a 9-inch pie pan. Prick with a fork and blind bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes with pie weights. Remove weights and bake another 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely.

Step 2: Prepare the Coconut Cream Filling

  1. In a saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  2. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10 minutes).
  3. Temper the egg yolks: add a spoonful of hot mixture into yolks, stir, then slowly return the yolk mixture to the saucepan.
  4. Cook 2–3 more minutes, stirring continuously.
  5. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and shredded coconut.
  6. Pour into the cooled crust. Smooth the top. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Step 3: Make the Whipped Cream

  1. Beat cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
  2. Spread or pipe over the chilled pie.
  3. Top with toasted coconut.

💞 Lovers of This Recipe

  • Beverley: The keeper of the recipe’s flame, she shares it with grace.
  • Her husband: Who calls this the taste of home.
  • Their children and grandchildren: For whom “Grandma’s Coconut Pie” is now a tradition.
  • Neighbors and friends: Who often ask for the recipe after just one slice.
  • Anyone who’s ever lost a loved one and found them again in a smell, a taste, or a bite of pie.

🏛️ Formation of the Pie (Why It Works)

  • Cornstarch + yolks = the luscious thick custard base
  • Toasted coconut on top = texture + flavor boost
  • Whipped cream = soft contrast to the dense, creamy filling
  • Baked crust = crisp buttery shell that holds it all with grace

Every component has a purpose—just like every family member in a holiday gathering.

🥹 Conclusion

This isn’t just a pie. It’s Mrs. Cecil Walston’s legacy—a recipe that has survived decades because it carries more than flavor. It carries love, patience, and the soft strength of grandmothers who kept families together with little more than flour, sugar, and devotion.

If you bake this pie, know that you’re not just making dessert. You’re continuing a story. And maybe one day, someone will call it your pie.

Would you like a printable version, or maybe a version for a special occasion (like a wedding or holiday menu)?

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