Chef Dorene Tan-Muzii. Photo by Vincent Gotti
by Keesa Ocampo
We asked patissier Dorene Tan-Muzii how pastry chefs and bakers can incorporate these tasty treats into new recipes. From creating French pastries at Daniel Boulud’s Bar Boulud and Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery in Rockefeller Center, New York, to working in the kitchens of Bon Appétit and Facebook, she put the cookies to the test at the Azucal Kitchen, a French-Filipino fusion concept for Frenchino desserts.
“I wanted to remember my childhood fondness for Philippine mangoes in a pie made with French techniques like we did in New York,” said Muzii. “The mangoes from my hometown Guadalupe, Cebu City, are some of the best in the Philippines. The Samoas Girl Scout cookies lent their coconut flavors to the blend of mangoes and chocolate, in perfect harmony. This is the absolute throwback to the best days of our childhood.”
SAMOAS MANGO PIE
French technique with a Girl Scout twist. Samoas Mango Pie by Chef Dorene Tan-Muzii of Azucal Kitchen:
100 g Samoas Cookies
100 g Graham cracker crumbs
25 g Sugar
20 g Ground cashew
20 g Melted butter
MANGO CURD:
½ cup mango puree
¼ cup passion fruit puree
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup butter
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Crust:
Pulse together in a food processor all crust ingredients except the melted butter until fully ground. Pour enough melted butter to moisten the crumbs. Fill your tart molds enough to cover the bottom of the tart pan. Press firmly and freeze for 10 mins or until firm to the touch. Bake for 8-10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t get overly toasted brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Mango Curd:
In a stainless bowl, add all the purees, sugar, and eggs. Cook mixture over a bain marie of simmering water, stirring constantly until the curd thickens or approaches nappage stage. Test the curd by making a line behind your spatula after dipping it into the curd. If the line you made won't disappear or mix with the rest of the curd on the spoon, it means your curd is done. Add the butter and stir until fully melted and blended. Pour the curd into a container, cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is touching the surface of the curd, to avoid skin formation. Cool in an ice water bath.
Assemble the pie, pour the mango curd up to the top. Smooth with an offset spatula and tap the pan a little to smooth the top and remove any air bubbles on the surface. Chill in the fridge to allow it to set. Cut up some mango cubes and decorate the top of the pie tart. Accent with raspberry or strawberry and mint leaves. Serve and enjoy.