Are You Perhaps Affiliated With The Girl Scouts?

 

My vintage blogging friend the lovely and brilliant Jessica of Chronically Vintage has addressed the subject of the sometimes odd comments that vintage lovers get in this post and this video .

Living in the NYC area where it takes quite a bit to raise eyebrows means my vintage look generally flies under the radar, which I prefer because I'm actually pretty shy.   However,  you can't wear nearly full on vintage everyday as I  have had the last two years without attracting some sidelong glances and comments.  Most people are very complimentary and sweet.  I most often get told I look or good or get asked where I get my clothes.   However, one slightly odd comment I have gotten a few times is: "Are you a girl scout?" Or as one rather proper lady put it "are you perhaps affiliated with the girl scouts?"  Now since I do own a green 1940s Jitterbuggin' jumper I can see the connection:

 

However, several times when I have gotten the comment I haven't been wearing the jumper!, but just my ordinary vintage gear.  So why do people keep thinking I'm an over the hill girl scout?  Its a bit of a mystery but I have decided to take it as a compliment, because frankly girl scouts are super cool.  They have a long and storied history as feminist pioneers, everyone loves the cookies, and the uniforms and badges really are quite fab. 





 

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Plus Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the girl scouts, was one amazing lady



 

 

with an unshakeable faith in the great things girls could do when given the right opportunities. 

 So while I haven't been officially affiliated with the Girl Scouts since a brief period in elementary  school nearly 30 years ago.  I've decided to take the question as a compliment and even emphasize the comparison.  Now when I wear my Jitterbuggin' jumper I accessorize it with some of my vintage pins, my version of the badges

and I quite like the look.

The whole thing has gotten me thinking Girl Scouts, and of course craving Girl Scout cookies,

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 which is why when I purchased the kindle version of the book First Prize Pies 

and saw the recipe for a pie inspired by the famous Samoa cookies

I set out to make it immediately.   I knew the pie would be delicious because I have sampled Allison Kave's pies at Smorgasburg and they are amazing.  I can't wait to the brick and mortar shop version opens.

The pie more then lived up to my expectations, as did the entire book, Allison Kave's directions are simple and straight forward and can turn even a novice pie baker into a pro.  The Samoa pie was very little effort and yielded what was by far the best pie I have ever tasted. 


Samoa Pie

 

Short Bread crust

1 ½ cups short bread cookies 15 to 20

2 to 4 tbsp butter

Filling

2 cups sugar

¼ cup corn syrup

1 stick unsalted butter

1 14 0z can full fat coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

1 cup toasted coconut

Topping

¼ cup toasted shredded coconut

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

¼ cup heavy cream

Make the curst

Grind the cookies in the processor and transfer to a large bowl and add the melted butter, a little at a time, and mix  (hands are best for this until the texture is that of wet sand.) Try not to add all the butter.  Press into a pie pan.  Chill in freezer or fridge while preheating oven to 350 bake 10 min until golden and then cool.

Filling

In heavy pan stir together ¼ cup water the sugar and corn syrup until sugar is mostly disolved.  Cook over med high heat moving the pan around occasionally until the caramel has turned a dark amber and reached 360 on a candy thermometer.  Keep a close eye as it can burn quickly. 

Remove caramel from heat and immediately start to whisk in the butter, be very careful.  Open the can of coconut milk and spoon of the thick cream and discard the water.  Whisk the coconut cream into the caramel until fully dissolved and then add the salt and vanilla. Stir in the toasted coconut and pour into prebaked pie shell.  Refrigerate pie uncovered for one hour and then sprinkle over the toasted shredded coconut.

Topping

Heat cream to scalded and pour it over the chocolate.  Whisk until glossy drizzle the ganache over the pie.  Refrigerate again uncovered, 4 hours or overnight.

I can't recommend First Prize Pies strongly its a fun read with delicious recipes and clear instructions and I can't wait to work my way through the remaining recipes.  As for vintage fashion and the Girl Scouts, green is my favorite color.