Coconut Cream Poke Cake

Ingredients

• Coconut Cream Pie Bars
• FOR THE CRUST:
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. water
• FOR THE FILLING:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 2 cups half and half
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• sweetened coconut, toasted
• Mexico Avocados Make Dessert More Delicious
• Directions:
• Preheat oven to 400F degrees
• Combine crust ingredients and spread into a 9x13 baking dish
• (note: for more detailed directions on making this crust, click HERE)
• Poke dough all over with a fork.
• This keeps the dough from puffing up too much while baking.
• Bake at 400F degrees for about 10-15 minutes.
• Crust should be a light golden brown and not "doughy".
• Let the crust cool.
• Then prepare the filling.
• In a bowl, whisk together half and half and egg yolks.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and cornstarch.
• Then slowly stir in half and half mixture while continuing to whisk.
• Bring heat up to high and continue to whisk. Do not leave your pot.
• Pudding is so easy to make but the minute you walk away, it can thicken up on ya and you have a globby mess. So just hang in there and keep whisking while the mixture comes up to a boil. After a few minutes you will notice it has thickened. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in 3 tbsp. butter, 1 cup coconut and coconut extract. Stir well.
• Then spread pudding mixture over crust. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
• Then cover with plastic wrap. And pop it in your fridge to cool for about an hour.
• Now, for the whipped cream, you will need to use the whisk attachment on your stand mixer (or a bowl and a whisk if doing it by hand). Pour 2 cups heavy whipping cream and turn mixer on to medium-high. Slowly add in sugar and then vanilla. Mix until whipped cream forms soft peaks. Then spread whipped cream over coconut pudding layer.
• Now for the toasted coconut topping (if you prefer it toasted).
• Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Put about a cup of coconut on a baking pan. Place it in the oven and bake for about 5-10 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes and don't walk away from oven because it has a tendency to burn the second you walk away. Let toasted coconut cool.
• Sprinkle bars with toasted coconut then slice