Macadamia Nut Cream Pie

When I first tasted this luscious pie on a trip to Hawaii many years ago, I set out to duplicate it after we returned home. I personally prefer making this with a single baked crust, but you can also make it with a graham crust, chocolate crumb crust, or as a pudding with no crust. Everyone has a favorite pie crust recipe: I'll give you mine in tomorrow's post. My pie crust recipe doesn't originate with me, but this Macadamia Nut Cream Pie filling is my own creation. With a modest blush, I must admit that it's the single best pie I’ve ever made! I save it for very, very special occasions!

Macadamia Nut Cream Pie:

1 - 10-inch baked pie crust (see my Oct. 24th blog)

1 - 300 mL (10 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1-½ c. cold water

1 pkg. (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix

2 c. heavy cream

½ - 1 c. macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

1 c. heavy cream, whipped as garnish 

1 tbsp. icing sugar (“confectioner’s sugar)

1 - ⅓ oz. (10 g) pkg. Dr. Oetker’s Whipping Cream Stabilizer (optional, but see my blogged Note about the virtues of using a whipping cream stabilizer; it’s posted with my Pavlova recipe dated Oct. 12, 2011)

For the Pie Filling:

Using electric mixer, combine sweetened condensed milk, cold water, and instant vanilla pudding mix, beating 5 min. until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat 2 c. heavy cream until soft peaks form; fold into pudding mixture with coarsely chopped nuts. Pour into baked, cooled pie shell and set aside. Beat 1 c. heavy cream together with icing sugar and whipping cream stabilizer until mixture forms stiff peaks. Spoon into pastry bag with fluted tip, piping whipped cream rosettes over top of pie, starting at the outside edges and working inward. If desired, top each rosette with a coarsely chopped portion of macadamia nut.

Asemble all ingredients

Add instant pudding mix to sweetened condensed milk and water

Whip heavy cream to soft peaks, folding into pudding mixture

Chop macadamia nuts

Add and fold in

Variations: You can easily change this recipe! For Chocolate Cream Pie: Omit macadamia nuts. Substitute chocolate pudding mix for the vanilla. For Banana Cream Pie: Omit macadamia nuts. Slice one banana over baked crust, pouring filling over top. For Coconut Cream Pie: Omit macadamia nuts. Add ⅔ c. sweetened, long-thread coconut to filling, pouring all over baked crust. Garnish each variation as original recipe directs.
Tomorrow, the recipe for my pie crust and a lesson in rolling, shaping, baking, and decorating the perfect pie, with plenty of step-by-step photos including one of the finished pie! PS: This blog will hit 10,000 views in a few more hours! Thank you, all! xox Nicole