Samoas...The Tart
Please don't tell the Girl Scouts I've done this. It might just put them out of business and lead to my untimely demise.
But I couldn't help myself.
SAMOAS...THE TART
INGREDIENTS
For the coconut sablé
1 cup all purpose flour, I use King Arthur
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup desiccated, sweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the caramel/coconut mixture
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into very small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 cups sweetened, desiccated coconut toasted to a golden brown (instructions to follow)
For the chocolate drizzle
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Dutched cocoa powder, I use Callebaut/Cacao Barry Extra Brute
PROCEDURE
For the coconut sablé
***NOTE*** If you are familiar with my book Pie It Forward, this recipe may look vaguely familiar to you. I use my sablé recipe as my sweet dough for some tarts. This is a coconut riff off of my base vanilla sablé recipe.
•In the bowl of a food processor fit with the blade attachment, combine the AP flour, coconut flour, desiccated coconut and the salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the cold pieces of butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
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| Coarse Cornmeal |
•In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Continue pulsing the the mixture in the processor while adding the egg mixture. Continue pulsing until the mixture looks uniformly damp but doesn't come together as a dough.
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| Looking slightly damp |
•Transfer the sablé dough to large piece of plastic wrap. Press the dough into a round and cover. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
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| Pressed together into a round. |
•Preheat your oven to 325º.
•Using six 4" flan rings, spray the rings and crumble a thing layer of sablé in the ring and press to create a base. Once a smooth base is made, press sablé dough along the sides. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
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| Line the rings. |
•Line the tart dough with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes.
•Remove the parchment and pie weights and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the tart dough is baked through and is very lightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.
For the caramel/coconut mixture
•First, to toast the coconut, spread the 3 cups in an even layer over a parchment lined sheetpan. Place in a 300º oven to brown for a few minutes. Stir the coconut and continue baking and stirring until the coconut flakes are medium/dark golden brown. Be "Johnny on the Spot" with the coconut as it burns quite easily. Transfer the coconut to a large mixing bowl.
•In a heavy saucepan, combine all caramel ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon constantly over medium heat until the sugar is completely melted. Attach a candy thermometer and continue stirring until the caramel reaches 245º.
•Remove the caramel from the heat and add a hefty tablespoon of caramel to each of the tarts. Refrigerate to firm.
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| Add the caramel to the coconut. |
•Pour the remaining caramel into the bowl of coconut and stir unti well coated. Set aside.
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| Caramel and coconut mixed. |
For the chocolate drizzle
•Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, espresso powder and butter in a heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar is completely melted.
•Sift the cocoa powder the mixture and whisk the cocoa powder into the sauce until smooth.
•Strain the drizzle through a very fine sieve into a large bowl.
•Spoon a scant tablespoon over the cooled caramel in the tarts. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to firm the chocolate.
To assemble
•Take about 1/4 cup of the caramel/coconut mixture and, using your delicate fairy fingers, form the mixture into a ring that lines the outside perimeter of the tart. Using a teaspoon, drizzle chocolate over the assembled tarts.
Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days.
