Deux Recettes Avec Noix de Coco

Two recipes with Coconut


Congolais

Congolais are often baked in pyramid-shaped molds

What in the U.S. we call "coconut macaroons" in France are called "Congolais," "from the Congo." The French version is more moist and "custardy" than what we call macaroons here, thus Congolais must be baked in a mold. Congolais are very easy to make.

Macarons (note the tiny difference in spelling) in France are little almond meringue sandwiches filled with various flavors such as raspberry, coffee, pistachio, etc. San Francisco Bay Area residents, may find real macarons at the Boulangerie (scroll down) on Pine Street between Fillmore and Steiner in San Francisco. This boulangerie is owned by un vrai français, Pascal Rigo, who is originally from Bordeaux. Stepping into his boulangerie is like stepping into a little corner of la belle France. Another place in the Bay Area where you can find real macarons is Pâtisserie Philippe on Townsend Street, another petit coin de la France in San Francisco.

As you see, macarons are not the same as macarOOns!

À table!
Congolais

• Oven 350º F (180º C)
• greased 24 mini-muffin molds
(Congolais are ideally baked in little pyramid-shaped molds, but Louis la Vache hasn't been able to find them in the U.S. However, he did find them in Paris at Dehillerin, which is near Forum des Halles. The 24 mini-muffin pan will work fine.)

INGRÉDIENTS:

2 cups whole milk. (NOT non-fat or low fat; whole milk works best.)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3 large eggs

MÉTHODE:
1. In a saucepan, heat the milk until just below boiling. Add the vanilla. (For best results, use the Neilsen-Massey Vanilla from Williams-Sonoma.)
2. While the milk is heating, in a large mixing bowl, blend the dry ingredients together.
3. Pour the hot milk mixture into the dry ingredients, stir.
4. Add the eggs, stirring well after each addition.
5. Spoon the mixture into the greased muffin molds.
6. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
7. Cool for 10 minutes on cooling rack before depanning.

Will keep for 3 days at room temperature.

Coconut Chess Pie



Chess Pies originated in the Deep South. There are several versions, coconut, buttermilk and lemon being the most common. How the name originated is uncertain. Here are two stories about how the name “Chess” came about, one probably more accurate, the other (and more fun one) very probably apocryphal.

The more probable origin is that because these pies are made with cream, butter and eggs, they needed to be kept in the “ice chest,” thus the “chest” was contracted to “chess.” The more fun version is that someone walked through the kitchen on a plantation and asked the black cook what she was making. Her reply was “Jes’ pie.”

This pie has always been one of Louis la Vache's favorites. His mother baked this pie and it was always on the table as one of the dessert choices at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The recette below for the crust is not the one Louis's mother used, but it is her recette for the filling you see here.

This pie may be made with a standard 9” deep dish pie shell. Here, however, is a version with a French twist. Rather than the standard pie shell, this version uses a French pâte sucrée. Louis occasionally adds a hint of almond extract to the pâte. The almond is a nice complementary flavor to the coconut, and makes the crust a bit more interesting. Once again,
À table!

Pâte sucrée

Secret du boulanger: Don’t overwork the dough when mixing otherwise it will toughen and shrink in the pan when baking. A secret to obtaining a flaky crust is to keep the temperature of the dough low. If you touch the dough with your hands, hold your hands under running cold water first. This prevents the dough from melting together and being “processed” by your body heat.

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold butter
3 tablespoons cold water

MÉTHODE:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt
2. Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
3. Sprinkle the cold water onto the mixture and toss gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.
4. Separate the dough into two balls, flatten slightly into thick disk shapes, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours before working with it.
5. While the dough is chilling, place a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper on a work surface.
6. Dust the plastic wrap or wax paper with flour.
7. Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on the floured plastic wrap or wax paper.
8. Roll the dough out to fit in a 9” springform or pie pan.
9. Place a greased pan over the dough.
10. Carefully reach under the plastic wrap or wax paper under the dough with both hands.
11. Flip the dough into the pan. Shape the dough and trim the rim.
12. Set the prepared pasty shell in the refrigerator while preparing the filling - or - to insure a crisper crust that absorbs less of the filling, bake the crust at 350º F (180º C) until it is white, but before it begins to brown.

Filling

Oven 400º F (200º C) - initiallly

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 - 7 oz package coconut
half and half
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 stick of butter at room temperature
2 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 extra large eggs

MÉTHODE:

1. Spread the coconut over the bottom of the prepared pastry shell.
2. Carefully pour half and half over the coconut - just enough to wet the coconut.
3. In a mixer, cream together the butter, flour and sugar.
4. Add the vanilla. (For best results, use the Neilsen-Massey Vanilla from Williams-Sonoma.)
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
6. Spoon the mixture over the coconut and half and half.
7. Carefully wrap a strip of foil around the top edge of the shell to prevent over-browning.
8. Bake at 400º for ten minutes. Reduce heat to 350º.
9. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes more. The center should test clean with an inserted toothpick.
10. Cool on cooling rack to prevent the bottom of the shell from sweating.

Voici! Bon appétit!