Just like Agent Cooper on Twin Peak's I only like my coffee black:
Nothing beats a delicious, dark, steaming cup of coffee on a cold winter morning. It's a lovely treat. I think black clothes can be lovely as well, but for obvious reasons, pet hair of course, I rarely wear black clothing. I do have a few exceptions, and one particularly lovely one that is overdue a show on the blog. My 1930s velvet coat. It's one of my few really excellent thrift store finds and is so beautiful that when I found it two years ago I ignored the impractical color and fabric.
It really is beautiful and the black velvet is so beautifully dark and nicely set off by the white fur collar.
It flows prettily too and for such old fabric, I'd estimate it is about 80 years old, it is in great condition.
It's not very warm though, so really only good for warmer winter days and fall, but then that is what makes this a luxury item, in my wardrobe, but a fun one. As Agent Cooper says it is important to treat yourself, every day, once a day, give yourself a little present:
Whenever I put on this coat it is my little present for the day, and guess wear I wore it the day these pictures where taken? That's right I wore it to get some coffee!
Today marks the anniversary of the premier of one of my favorite shows, the short lived odd ball cult classic Twin Peaks. I was too young to watch the show when it first aired in 1990, but after watching it on Netflix I quickly became addicted. The show had a beautifully creepy look, with plenty of stylish vintage elements:
The other great thing I love about Twin Peaks? The non stop talk about food, particularly pie, coffee, and donuts. Certain sayings from the show like this one have become famous:
In honor of this wonderful show I am sharing a recipe for pie, of course if I were really being Twin Peaks appropriate I would have made cherry pie, but sadly cherries are not in season. So instead I prepared a retro style pie that still seems like it could have come straight out of Norma's Diner
For the crust 5 ounces (40 cookies) vanilla wafer cookies, crumbled 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar
For the filling 1/2 cup (4 ounces) sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups (16 ounces) heavy cream 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk 3 extra-large egg yolks 4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the center position. To make the crust, place the crumbled cookies in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until the cookie pieces are reduced to small crumbs, then add the melted butter and sugar. Pulse until the butter is evenly dispersed among the crumbs. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, or until it is fragrant and light brown, and it is slightly firm to the touch. Remove the plate to a wire rack to cool. Turn off the oven. (The crust can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cover well with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)
To make the filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart, heavy saucepan. Whisk the mixture together, then whisk in 1 cup of the cream and the coconut milk. Add the egg yolks and whisk vigorously to combine. Set the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly, making sure to reach into the corners of the pan, as the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir or whisk the mixture very well, then return the pan to the heat. Simmer the mixture, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the white chocolate and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate melts. The mixture will be very thick and slightly oily looking. Transfer the mixture to a large metal bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap onto the top, and refrigerate until cold. When the custard is cold, beat it with an electric mixer on high speed for 1 minute, until it is smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is thick and fluffy like whipped cream. Fold in 1 cup of the toasted coconut. Pour and scrape the filling into the prepared crust. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup toasted coconut. Refrigerate the pie until ready to serve. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
For the toasted Coconut
To toast coconut in the oven, spread it on a shallow, rimmed baking sheet and place
it in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 10 minutes. Use a metal spatula to stir the
shreds, then bake for another 5 minutes, or until the coconut is a very light
golden brown.
