Chocolate Coconut Haupia Pie Inspired by Ted's Bakery

Elise with the original from Ted's Bakery (via Foodland supermarket).

Before I left for Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, I made sure I had all my important papers together. Plane tickets, check. Hotel reservation, check. List of the best places to eat on Oahu, cut out of a Sunset magazine article by my friend Trish, check and double check.

One of the must-try items on that list was the chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery. We didn't make it to Ted's but did happen to see it prepackaged for sale in the grocery store, so I bought a piece to try. It was so good I knew I had to try recreating it at home.

For those who don't know, haupia is a firm coconut pudding. You make it in a pan and then cut it into squares and eat it with your fingers. It's a popular thing to have at luaus; the pie is a super easy and fun treat that would be great at a casual potluck or dinner party.


Janet's Chocolate Haupia Pie
Make a one-crust recipe of your favorite pie crust, and pre-bake it. Pour the hot haupia into it and chill until set. Add your favorite chocolate pudding (I must confess to using a box of instant Jello chocolate pudding) and pour on top of haupia, again chilling until set.

Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut.


Cut one piece for the photo, then take the rest to your parents to ensure your status as favored child.

Haupia (source)
2 cups coconut milk
1-1/4 cups water
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
Combine the coconut milk and water. Stir until smooth. Add the sugar and cornstarch. Cook over low heat until thickened and shiny. If the haupia is grainy, you need to keep cooking the mixture because the fat in the coconut milk has not yet melted.

If you have any chocolate pudding left over, be sure to smear some on your face to resemble a goatee and mustache.

A Thousand Words: Downtown Honolulu

Oh yeah? Well same to you buddy.

A Thousand Words: Kailua Beach

How many times do I have to tell you not to offer your brother up to the gods?

Oahu Travel Tips

Aloha!

Aaahh...paradise. My family just spent 7 glorious days in Hawaii and this week's post topics are all the things I did or saw or ate and said, "I'm gonna blog about this when I get home."

Today's topic: Oahu Travel Tips

1. Rent a car. You will find many reviews online that say you don't need a car if you stay in Waikiki but if you listen to them, you will come home and say, "I don't really like Oahu. It's too touristy." and that will just piss me off. (For many reasons, and the main one being that you think the word "tourist" does not apply to you.) Duh people--if you stay in Waikiki without a car, all you see is Waikiki, which is very crowded and loud and, yes, touristy. There is so much more to this island; you really need to get out and see it. (Stay tuned later this week for Oahu sightseeing destinations.)

2. Or take the bus. Here in California we drive everywhere so my kids were amazed to see schoolchildren and businessmen boarding the bus every day. Public transportation in Hawaii is great and you can ride The Bus pretty much anywhere you want to go for a couple of bucks and a transfer, without the hassle of fighting downtown traffic. A 4-day pass costs $25.


3. Brush up on your Hawaiian. I used to live on Oahu but my husband is from Michigan. He's what locals here would call "haole" and is entirely unfamiliar with the Hawaiian language. I did the driving on this trip and navigating downtown Honolulu with its one-way streets and lots of traffic can be pretty confusing, so Vince was my map guy.

Here's a typical scenario:
Me: OK, so we have to get to Kapiolani Ave.
Him: OK. (A few minutes go by...) Here it is--turn right here.
Me: What? Where? This is Kalakaua.
Him: Oh. Sorry.
(A few minutes later...)
Him: OK, turn here. Kahili.
Me: I thought we were going to Kapiolani.
Him. Oh. Sorry.

Luckily, we were on an island and could only get so lost...

4. Do not play the Alphabet Game with street signs. There are only 13 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet and B is not one of them, so this game ended pretty quick.

5. Eat some Spam. You will be surprised at how easy it is...even McDonald's serves it. You can get Spam musubi (rice with a piece of Spam on top, wrapped with seaweed, or nori) at any food court in any mall but our favorite is the Zip-pac at Zippy's, a local fast-food chain. It's 2 scoops of rice sprinkled with furikake (seasoned nori flakes), macaroni salad, and four pieces of meat: teriyaki beef, fried chicken, fried fish, and Spam. So salty! So tasty!

Do you think she likes it here?

Rick Bayless' Pesto

This is one of my favorite cookbooks--it kind of straddles the kid/grownup cookbook because although Rick Bayless cooks with his teen daughter Lanie, there's not a fruit kabob or bagel faces recipe to be found. Praise be!

My favorite pesto comes from this cookbook--it's good for kids because the cream cheese mellows out the strong basil flavor.


Bayless Family Pasta with Pesto
1/4 c. pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves
2 c. fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. lemon balm, optional
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. cream cheese or fresh goat cheese
1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
Salt
1 lb. dried pasta
1/2 to 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Scoop nuts into a small skillet. Set over medium heat. Stir until nuts release toasty aroma into kitchen, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let nuts cool.
2. Place peeled garlic in microwave-safe cup and barely cover with water. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Scoop garlic out of water with spoon. Allow to cool.


3. In a food processor, combine cooled toasted nuts, basil leaves, lemon balm if desired, olive oil, cream cheese, lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut each garlic clove into 3 pieces and add to processor. Secure lid. Pulse 5 or 6 times, then run machine until mixture is smooth--about 1 minute. Leave pesto in food processor.
4. Boil pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Pour reserved pasta water into food processor and turn on to thin the pesto. Mix pesto with pasta. Sprinkle on half of the grated Parmesan. Divide onto plates and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Serves 4 as a main course.

Lucky me, to have a Dad who keeps me supplied with fresh lemon juice from his tree.

A Thousand Words for A Thousand Sales

Just celebrated 1000 sales in my Etsy shop with this purchase.

Super Easy Carnitas

When I cook for a crowd, I usually serve Mexican food. Do-it-yourself tacos or burritos are delicious, kid-friendly, and easy to prepare beforehand. Tonight it was carnitas.

The night before your party, put a couple of pork roasts (buy the cheap stuff) in your crockpot and season them with salt, pepper, cumin, onion, garlic, and chili powder. Cook them overnight, then in the morning let them cool and shred the meat.

A few minutes before the par-tay, pour a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and fry the carnitas so they get kind of crunchy. Put out tortillas, bowls of avocado, sliced onion, cheese, and salsa along with some beans and Mexican rice (don't forget a pitcher of Margaritas) and let the fiesta begin!