A former symphony violinist wants to brew an unforgettable coffee chiffon pie. Coffee flavors sky-high pie
Art Loventhal of Palolo Valley was a member of the Honolulu Symphony for more than three decades, back when symphony players stayed in private homes instead of hotels when presenting neighbor island concerts.
On a Kona sojourn he tasted a "fantastic pie with Kona beans and chiffon cream."
"We've eaten at hundreds of homes because we stayed with many different people," Loventhal recalled. "It stands out in my mind -- that Kona coffee-flavored pie was one of a kind, and I'm not even a coffee drinker.
"It was 30 to 35 years ago," he added. "I'd like to try and make it myself."
Two pie recipes follow, one made with Kona coffee granules, Kona coffee liqueur and a macadamia nut crust.
A recently developed liqueur, Kona Gold coffee liqueur, made by Aloha Liqueurs, is touted as the world's only pure coffee liqueur, made with 100 percent Kona peaberry beans.
Kona Gold is available at stores, or call Paradise Beverages, the distributor.
Joyce's Kona
By Joyce Farrington, from the "Kona Coffee Cookbook,"
mocha chiffon pie
Island Heritage, 1997, $152 eggs, separatedTo prepare pie shell: Blend the flour, salt, macadamia nuts and shortening. Sprinkle with ice water and mix to form a ball. Roll on a floured board. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 5 minutes. Cool.
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin crystals
5 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons Kona coffee instant granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Kona coffee liqueur
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
Macadamia nut pie shell:
1-1/4 cups flour
Pinch salt
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped
7 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons ice waterTo prepare filling: Slightly beat egg yolks; set aside.
In the top of a double boiler, blend 1/2 cup sugar, gelatin crystals, cocoa, coffee granules, salt and liqueur. Stir in milk and egg yolks. Cook over boiling water until thickened. Remove from heat. Chill until mixture mounds slightly when spooned.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar to form soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating to form stiff peaks. Fold into gelatin mixture. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into baked pie shell. Chill. Makes 8 servings.
Chocolate angel pie
From "Good Housekeeping
Best Recipes 1998," Time Inc., $24.953 large egg whitesPreheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch metal pie pan.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon espresso-coffee instant powder
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
2 tablespoons milk
Chocolate curls for garnishWith mixer at high speed, beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beating at high speed, add 1 teaspoon vanilla and sprinkle in 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar dissolves and whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks.
Evenly spread meringue over bottom and side of pie pan, making an edge above pan rim. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven and let shell remain in oven 1 hour to dry out. Cool on wire rack.
Meanwhile, prepare filling: Sift cocoa with remaining 1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar. Dissolve espresso powder in 1 teaspoon hot tap water.
With mixer at medium speed, beat cream, dissolved espresso and remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla just until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in cocoa mixture until thoroughly blended and stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Beat in milk.
Spread into cooled shell. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with chocolate curls. Makes 10 servings.
REVISED RECIPES
Dozens tried Charmaine Naauao-Ocasek's recipe for crispy poi mochi after it ran in By Request last week. However, Naauao-Ocasek said she uses an especially thick poi made by The Poi Company. The latter poi is available in one-pound bags at most grocery chains, except Safeway and Costco. Using the thicker poi in the batter would call for more water and sugar, she said. Crispy mochi possible
with less waterNaauao-Ocasek's recipe called for 5 cups of water, but one reader said she stopped at 3 and it was still watery. Cooks using brands of poi other than The Poi Company's should use only enough water to achieve the consistency of thick pancake batter.
A revised recipe follows, plus another recipe using more mochiko and less sugar.
Poi mochi
Courtesy Uncle Lani's Hawaiian Poi MochiVegetable oilHeat 1-inch of cooking oil in a skillet at 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix mochiko, sugar, poi and water; blend well.
10-ounce package mochiko (Asian sweet-rice flour)
3 cups sugar or to taste
12-ounce bag poi
Enough water to achieve consistency of thick pancake batterDrop batter by teaspoonfuls in hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.
Moiliili
From "The Tastes and Tales of Moiliili"
poi mochi
by Moiliili Community Center, 1997, $14.501 bag poiCombine all ingredients except oil; mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot oil and deep-fry until slightly crisp. Drain on absorbent paper. Makes about 30 to 36.
2 cups water
2 packages (10 ounces each) mochiko (Asian sweet rice flour)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 quart canola oil for deep-frying
Send queries along with name and phone number to:
By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com
Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the
Body & Soul section indicates calculations by
Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts,
a nutritional consulting firm.
