March 12th is an important date to Girl Scouts throughout the world. It was on this day in 1912, Juliette Gordon Low established the Girl Scouts of America in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. Since then girls have enjoyed camping, camaraderie, and cookies!
Today also marks a point in our national history when common sense is trumped by Coronavirus panic. One quick trip to Wally-World showed me just how quickly people are loosing their ever-loving minds! Toilet paper, hand-sanitizer, bottled water and all types of cleaning products were either gone from the shelves or quickly snatched up. When all of this Coronavirus mania blows over, people will be stocked up for years. Or stores will have long lines at the return counter! SMH!
There’s a fine line between knowing how to survive during a wilderness adventure, like in Girl or Boys Scouts; and simply stocking up like a Doomsday prepper. Son A tiptoed on this fine line once!
Son A’s first foray into scouting was as an honorary Junior Girl Scout. It’s not his fault. He was 1. And as the Assistant Troop leader’s son, he went wherever the girls went. This included earning his Hiking Patch on a 4 mile hike in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas, a wildlife badge at the El Paso Zoo, and a Pioneer Patch in the Magoffin Home.
Flash forward about 10 years, and Son A was in Boy Scouts. Son A’s Troop was very active, and decided to hike the Three Ridges Hike on the Appalachian Trail in western Virginia. Instead of being the weight on someone else’s shoulders, Son A would be carrying his own. Whatever each boy packed, each boy carried. The Troop discussed what should be taken…light-weight sleeping bags, rain gear, flashlights, backpacking stoves, food items…
Around this same time, Son A was going through a prepping phase. Maybe he was trying to find his identity. Maybe I was trying to find his bedroom floor amidst the prepping magazines, camouflaged military surplus items and packs of MREs (meals, ready-to-eat). Son A actually asked for a case of MREs for Christmas this year! Nonetheless, he was all in.
As we hiked into the Maupin Field Shelter at midnight, in the pitch-black darkness, with thin ribbons of light to show the rocky way, a moaning and groaning began to develop. At first, it was a low murmur. But as the rocky inclines wore on, full-on grunting took over. The culprit? One overzealous scout with canned food crammed into his backpack!
Canned green beans and chicken noodle soup have their merits. They stores for years in the pantry and cook up in a flash. A couple of cans shuffled from shelf to stove isn’t a big deal. A case of corn and kippers crammed into a backpack is. Son A quickly learned prepping this way was not optimal for hiking! The following year, Son A opted for lighter fare…granola bars, oatmeal and dried meal kits!
Son A still enjoys his military surplus items, but appreciates the history associated with them. Earlier this week, the Girl Scout cookie pushers accosted him. As a result, several boxes of Samoas and Thin Mints were stashed in the pantry in true prepper fashion. I’ll take these over cases of Chlorox wipes and rubbing alcohol!
To honor of the inception of Girl Scouts, the cookies we seek out like addicts needing a fix, and the overreacting of a panicky public, I’m prepping Samoas Coconut Cream Pie with Salted Caramel Sauce.
Crushed Samoas cookies create the bottom crust on this luscious Pastry Cream filled pie, sweetened with flaked coconut and vanilla beans. Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce and chocolate sauce adorn the whipped cream topper, paying homage to similar flavors in the Samoas crust. This succulent pie is definitely one you won’t want to stash away for forever!
PrintSamoas Coconut Cream Pie
Crushed Samoas cookies create the bottom crust on this luscious Pastry Cream filled pie, sweetened with flaked coconut and vanilla beans. Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce and chocolate sauce adorn the whipped cream topper.
- Prep Time: 1 Hour
- Total Time: 8 Hours
- Yield: One 9-inch Pie; Serves 10-12 1x
Ingredients
For Filling:
1 Recipe Cream Pie Pastry Cream
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
For Samoas Crust:
2 cups crushed Samoas cookies (about 15–20 cookies)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted at room temperature
For Topping:
2 cups heavy cream, cold
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Recipe Salted Caramel Sauce
Chocolate syrup, homemade or store-bought
Additional Samoas cookies to decorate
Instructions
Prepare Cream Pie Pastry Cream according to directions. After straining cooked pastry cream through a sieve, stir in sweetened flaked coconut. Cover with plastic wrap by placing wrap directly on cream’s surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in refrigerator for about 4 hours.
To Make Samoas Crust:
In a food processor, crush or blend cookies until fine crumbs form. Stir in unsalted butter until evenly combined. Be sure to use cooled, melted butter or else the chocolate in the cookies will melt completely. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Place in freezer.
For Topping:
In a large bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add granulated sugar and vanilla. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until pastry cream is done chilling.
Prepare Salted Caramel Sauce according to recipe. Allow to cool.
Assembling the Pie:
Evenly spread the coconut pastry cream into the Samoas crust. Spread whipped cream topping over the coconut cream. Drizzle salted caramel sauce and chocolate syrup over the top. Crumble additional Samoas cookies over the pie’s top for decoration. Slice and serve.
Notes
This pie will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.
IMNPB
Recommended To You
