Go read the title of this post again.
It’s worth reading twice.
And if you’re like me, you need to read it twice for the words to register: Samoas Girl Scout Cookie Pie.
Earlier this week, when I posted my Healthy Girl Scout Cookies – Peanut Butter Tagalongs, I hinted at having also made homemade Samoas and Thin Mints.
My Samoas recipe still needs some work, but I didn’t want to leave you Samoa-less this week… so I sought help!
Enter Regan Jones, RD of The Professional Palate and Healthy Aperture. This lovely chocolate pie that you see is her creation, so if you enjoy the recipe, be sure to visit her site for more beautiful photos and recipes (many of which are vegan). I’m honored to have Regan as a guest on the blog today:
One of my first jobs after becoming a registered dietitian was as an Assistant Food Editor at Cooking Light Magazine. To say I considered myself lucky at the time would be a gross understatement. I’ve loved cooking since I was a little girl, and as a college student, I found that I loved nutrition & healthy eating even more. Being able to work at one of the country’s largest magazines – devoted to healthy cooking – was a dream come true.
So when I sat in one of my first editorial planning meetings and suggested a story on healthy desserts that used “unfamiliar” ingredients (think tofu in custard, avocado as ice cream) and found myself on the receiving end of quite a few disapproving looks, I felt a little like my dreams had been shattered. Seriously… my Executive Editor looked at me as if I had 3 heads. I just “knew” that innovative desserts would be well received. At the time, my team wasn’t so sure.
Fast forward to 2013 and the blog you’re currently reading.
Chocolate Covered Katie is one of THE most popular blogs on the block – and for good reason. Katie’s innovative way to make seemingly indulgent desserts out of healthy ingredients makes millions of people – including me – drool at our computer screens daily.
It’s been years since I sat in an editorial planning meeting at a magazine. My planning meetings now consistent of myself, my Mac and a good cup of coffee, enjoyed in my kitchen in the early hours of the morning. It’s in that kitchen that this was born…
…and where I first received an email from Katie to share this guest post with you today. Having followed her blog and been a fan for years, I think I probably had that same look of surprise on my email as my Editor did all those many years ago. I’m honored that she asked and equally as thrilled to be able to share the recipe with you.
I sincerely hope you enjoy this chocolate pie!
Have you ever tried avocado in a dessert recipe?
Avocado key lime pie? Avocado Chocolate Mousse? Avocado shamrock shakes? Avocado chocolate pies? If you still haven’t tried this heart-healthy fruit in a sweet recipe, Regan’s chocolate avocado Girl Scout Cookie Pie might be the perfect opportunity!
Samoas Girl Scout Cookie Pie
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (for gluten-free, use coconut flour)
- 1 tablespoon honey (K note: strict vegans can use agave)
- flesh from 2 ripe avocados
- 4 – 5 tablespoons honey, to taste (K note: strict vegans can use agave)
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon Kahlua or strong brewed coffee
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- pinch of Kosher salt
- Garnish: melted chocolate chips
Toast coconut in a large skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until golden; reserve 1/2 cup and set aside. Combine 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut, melted coconut oil, flour and 1 tablespoon honey in a large bowl; press into and up sides of pie plate. Set aside. Add avocado, remaining honey, cocoa, Kahlua, coconut milk and salt to bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth. Spoon into pie shell and sprinkle with reserved toasted coconut. Freeze at least 4 hours or until firm. Just before serving, drizzle with melted chocolate.
Link of the Day:
Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie Cheesecake
I have never tried avocado in a dessert recipe but I bet it’s amazing! This pie is making me drool by the way….
Katie, you’re freaking amazing! Some of the stuff you think up is utterly ridiculous…in a great way of course! You always find a way to bring out my inner fatboy, and I appreciate you all the more for it! Keep up the great work!
This seriously just made my day! Samoas were, by far, my absolute favorite Girl Scout cookie! As a kid, I could never understand why everyone was so obsessed with Thin Mints. 🙂 And I love the simple ingredient list…making this, oh, so soon!
I agree, thin mints were like a cough drop or like a boring after dinner mint
I love you and hate you at the same time! Stop posting these irresistible recipes! Yum yum and yum, this was always my most addictive girl scout cookie, but the ingredients will kill ya, so thanks for the creative venture into this yummy delightful treat!
You outdid yourself on this one Katie!
I can’t wait to make it, I already started going through all upcoming events and birthdays in my head to figure out when I can make it!
Thanks for a great guest post, Regan. CCK, I love when you highlight other bloggers because it gives me the chance to find new blogs to follow.
Plus I secretly hope that the next blogger you feature will be me ;).
Glad you liked it E 🙂
I’ve never ever had a girl scout cookie :$
My favorite girl scout cookies…and now they are a pie! Katie, I love you…I mean it, it’s serious…I love you…and now I must go make pie.
I actually have tried avocado in a dessert recipe! And it’s amazing how creamy and moist (sorry if you hate that word) it keeps the dessert. SO good. Way better than butter or butter substitutes I find!
Wow–that’s looks so good! I have to try this one 🙂
Wow, I have to say, this seems one of your healthiest recipes yet. It has a buttload of fiber and iron, and no trans fat like traditional samoas.
Now, I want to rant about Cooking Light.
I subscribed to this magazing because I thought the recipes would be healthy, like they wouldn’t clog your arteries.
Well, now, I’m pretty disappointed. Here’s my list of complaints.
The main focus is being low-calorie, but not healthy
-It seems that all Cooking Light cares about is if a recipe has as little calories as possible. In one of their potato soups they complained that the potato was “starchy” and the cauliflower was “skinnier”. Okay, that may be true, but they think that subbing potato for cauliflower makes themselves holy and innovative beings. It’s kind of like they’re implying that a potato is unhealthy, which it isn’t.
They hate fat
-Although they admit that nuts and avocadoes have heart healthy fats, they have to slip in a word about how fattening they are. In one recipe, they acted all proud of how little chocolate they were able to use in a dessert, and they were all “oh chocolate is high in saturated fat!” even though the saturated fat in chocolate is actually good for you
They have no problem with refined carbohydrates
-Rarely do their recipes call for whole grains, like brown rice or whole wheat flour. Once in a great while a baked good will call for whole wheat flour, but usually it’s not that much and it has a lot more white flour. A lot of these baked goods also call for copious amounts of refined sugar. They probably have to use this much sugar to keep the food tasting good because they removed the fat.
The portions are tiny
-They make the calories so small by increasing the number of servings. This really doesn’t do anything good, but make you crave.
They are high in sodium
-Recipes usually have 300+ grams of sodium. Some even have in the 600’s. They probably have to increase the salt because they try to make them low in flavor-adding fat.
Yes, I know it’s called Cooking LIGHT, but in addition to being light on calories, they are light on vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats. When it comes to sugar, refined carbs, and sodium, they use a rather heavy hand. I think it’s sad that they persuade people that saturated fat is the devil and there’s nothing wrong with sugar and white carbs.
I prefer Katie’s recipes because her recipes are “healthy”
A lot are high in
~fiber
~vitamins
~minerals
~protein
~fats
And low in
~processed carbs
~trans fat
I think the people at Cooking Light could learn a lot from her.
Wow, this was interesting to read- who knew? I never subscribed to Cooking Light ( I was going to), but I guess its a waste of money.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I totally agree with you! Lets focus on HEATHY not LOW CALORIE/FAT!
So many mags and TV cooking shows like that out there focusing on the wrong things, gets pretty frustrating.
I’m not saying that Cooking Light Recipes are total crap. My mom loved the apple and rosemary pork roulade, and the bacon, cheddar and onion corn muffings. I’m just saying, it’s not a health magazine, it’s a weight loss magazine, under the impression of being healthy.
And this is why I like Katie’s recipes so much. Her recipes are bursting with nutrition, and a calorie count is the least of her concerns. I think we’re so focused on low-cal because America is so obese. And we like to eat a lot of junk food. So, corporations will appeal to our desire not to be obese by focusing on making low-calorie foods. This in turn causes us to believe that all low-cal foods are healthy (Cooking Light) and all high-cal foods are unhealthy (many of Katie’s recipes). Using this technique, even healthy foods such as peanut butter have gone low-cal, but high sugar and low nutrition. I wonder what the people at Cooking Light would think if they saw Katie proclaiming that dark chocolate and coconuts are healthy foods. They’d balk and faint probably, since they’re so high in fat (especially of the saturated structure) and caloric. It’s kind of like they’re assuming that someone who eats 1,800 calories worth of low-fat ice cream, and soda is healthier than someone who eats 2,200 calories of berries, greens, oats, potatoes. . .
What these “health” magazines also seem to do is make it seem like all we should eat are vegetables. Like, they’ll always say how you should switch this food and eat vegetables in lieu. That’s good for foods such as doritoes, and pepperoni pizza but it’s gotten to the point of subbing a tortilla, even if it’s whole wheat (icky, carbs! get it away!) with lettuce, and fruit (blech! sugar! hide the kids!) with vegetables. (And if you read my first comment, potatoes for cauliflower.) While vegetables are good for you, it’s sad and boring to see them replace all the foods in your diet. We need to eat the foods we enjoy or else we’ll be eating egg whites and kale for breakfast, broccoli for lunch and, carrots for dinner (uh oh, carrots are starchier than red cabbage, I’ll get fat so I better eat one leaf of red cabbage.)
In their May 2013 issue, they had a recipe for pound cake. I insisted to see how “light” this pound cake really was. In another cookbook i have, there is also a pound cake recipe. When i compared the two here is what i found.
Cooking light pound cake:
Serving size to pan ratio: 1.6
Calories: 318
Sugar: 6 teaspoons (24g)
“Fat”: 11.7g
Sodium: 119 mg
My cookbook pound cake:
Serving size to pan ratio: 2
Calories: 245
Sugar: 5.5 teaspoons (22g)
“Fat”: 11g!
Sodium:170
Hmmmmm… that’s weird, i thought cooking light was supposed to be healthy, yet it has more fat (evil!) And sugar, than a traditional pound cake, and its serving sizes are smaller. That what they get for trying to healthify dessert, a high sugar food that trades fat for glycemic index. Fail
This looks SO delicious I want to eat it RIGHT NOW. Okay, that’s it. Going to the store for ingredients!
Avocado is wonderful with chocolate! I’ve made avocado chocolate pudding, avocado chocolate apple dip, avocado chocolate shake. Creamy and smooth without any taste of avocado.
Wow this sounds amazing. I have tried avocados in dessert recipes before but unfortunately I’ve always been able to taste it…and as much as I love avocados, I don’t want them pureed in chocolate! Perhaps the coconut in this though will mask the flavour 🙂
That looks amazingly good! *bookmarked* I always feel embarrassed to say this, but I have never had a girl scout cookie… EVER. However, I must make this pie!
I don’t think raw wheat flour is good for you, but coconut flour should be fine!