Peel a Lawry’s Pie

DEAR SOS: I’ve been cooking recipes from your column for more years than I’d like to admit. I’ve seen several recipes from Lawry’s, but not one for its banana cream pie. It’s a classic many readers would love to try at home.

MICHELE

DEAR MICHELE: True. Readers will be delighted that you asked.

LAWRY’S COCONUT BANANA CREAM PIE

COCONUT PIE SHELL

Butter

3 cups flake coconut

PIE FILLING

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half and half

Yellow food coloring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 bananas

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

COCONUT PIE SHELL

Melt 1/2 cup butter in large skillet and saute coconut flakes, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Place in lightly buttered 9-inch pie plate. Press firmly and evenly to form shell. Chill before filling, if desired.

PIE FILLING

Combine egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt and flour in small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup half and half.

Combine remaining 2 cups half and half and 1/2 cup sugar in 3-quart saucepan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Add egg mixture and cook and stir until mixture returns to boil and thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Stir in 2 drops food coloring and vanilla. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Let cool.

Slice bananas into Coconut Pie Shell. Pour filling into shell.

Whip cream with powdered sugar until stiff. Spoon in dollops or pipe with pastry bag around edge of pie. Chill 2 hours before slicing.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings:

655 calories; 335 mg sodium; 242 mg cholesterol; 48 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.92 gram fiber.

did not run in OC:

Revere Rides Again DEAR SOS: The Revere House in Tustin has a delicious recipe for chicken piccata. I would very much appreciate the recipe.

NANCY

DEAR NANCY: Revere House Chef Agustin Fuentes of the Revere House supplied this recipe for the classic dish originally designed for veal scallops.

REVERE HOUSE CHICKEN PICCATA

1/2 cup flour

Salt

White pepper

8 (7-ounce) boneless chicken breast halves

Butter or olive oil

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup capers

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge both sides of chicken breasts in flour mixture.

Heat 6 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes per side. Add mushrooms and capers. Set aside and keep warm.

Bring wine, lemon juice, garlic and shallots to boil in saucepan. Simmer until reduced by half. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until melted. (Note: For a richer sauce, use more butter.) Keep warm. To serve, pour sauce over chicken breasts.

8 servings. Each serving:

407 calories; 426 mg sodium; 118 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 34 grams protein; 0.68 gram fiber.

Through a Glass Sweetly DEAR SOS: I would like a recipe for stained-glass cake made with different colored cubes of gelatin.

BILLIE

DEAR BILLIE: Broken-Glass Cake is another name for this colorful party cake, so named because of its resemblance to stained-glass church windows.

BROKEN-GLASS CAKE

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 (3-ounce) package orange-flavored gelatin

1 (3-ounce) package cherry-flavored gelatin

1 (3-ounce) package lime-flavored gelatin

3 cups boiling water

2 cups cold water

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup sugar

1 (3-ounce) package lemon-flavored gelatin

2 cups whipping cream

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Prepare orange, cherry and lime gelatins separately, using 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water for each. Pour each flavor gelatin into individual 8-inch-square pans and chill until firm. When firm, cut each gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes.

Mix pineapple juice and sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Dissolve lemon gelatin in hot juice, then add remaining 1/2 cup cold water. Chill until slightly thickened.

Whip cream until stiff and blend with lemon-pineapple gelatin. Fold in orange, cherry and lime gelatin cubes. Pour into crumb-lined pan. Chill at least 5 hours.

Run knife or spatula around edge of pan before removing cake.

16 servings. Each serving:

207 calories; 111 mg sodium; 51 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.10 gram fiber.

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Prop credit: Rebeccca Wood platter by the Karen Aweil Studio from Zero Minus Plus, Santa Monica, and New Stone Age, Los Angeles.