14 March 2008

The Dessert That Never Was........or.....I'll Bet You Can't Eat Just One...

Years ago my daughter started out in Brownies and then moved on to Girl Guides. I was even a Girl Guide leader myself for a number of years and enjoyed the label of being the resident authority on native plants, etc. I loved our annual hike along the Kettle Valley Railway and when our girls were older the white water rafting trips as well. What I enjoyed the most was when we went on our camping weekends and we could plan menus, shop for groceries with the girls and teach them new culinary skills. I was a foodie even then and didn't even know the term. Now my idea of camping was in a cabin and not tenting it, so eventually as the girls became older my days became numbered. Those days are long gone but "thanks for the memories". I don't know how my daughter felt about her mom being a leader, but I sure enjoyed those times we had together.
The thing I enjoyed the least about being a leader was being involved in the annual cookie sales. I know, I know, this is a huge fundraiser for the girls, but it didn't make it any less painless. Here in Canada they always sold a vanilla and chocolate combo, sort of like an oreo. Half of the box was vanilla and half was chocolate. In more recent years they have two campaigns where they sell Thin Mint Cookies at a separate time of the year as well.

Blogging has taught me that in the States they sell an abundance of different types of cookies for the Girl Scout troups. We are cookie deprived here in Canada!!!!!!!

Thin Mints, Do-si-Dos, Trefoils, Tagalongs, Samoas, Thanks-a-Lot, Lemonades, Cinna-spins and Sugar Free Chocolate Chip....Now if we had such an abundance of cookies here I may have actually enjoyed the door to door campaign...maybe not, but, it would have made it more interesting.

Susan from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy Chewy heard my plight and generously sent along a box of Samoas to the "Great White North". What inspired me was a dessert she had made from the coconut Samoa. It just looked and sounded divine, dripping with caramel and creamy, sticky, gooey goodness. Susan original post for this incredible dessert can be found here . When the box arrived by FedEx I just had to try one. I thought, "If I try just one..I can still make the dessert with the rest of the cookies....then....maybe just another and I will still be able to make a smaller version of the dessert if I half the recipe." Well....best intentions aside I have 3 cookies left for my daughter to try when she comes home for Easter from university.....MAYBE. I hope Susan doesn't mind me posting a photo of her dessert here for a glimpse of its incredibleness....since I didn't get to try it myself.

**Thank Heaven for Little Girl(Scout)s Samoa Cheese Tart**
from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy ...just as she has written it





1 box Samoa cookies
3 T butter, melted
1 8-ounce package cold cream cheese
1 8-ounce container cold mascarpone
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups dulce de leche, divided
1 cup flaked coconut
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted



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Process the cookies into crumbs in the food processor. If you don't have a food processor, put them in a plastic zipper bag and beat the hell out of them until they turn into crumbs. Mix the crumbs with the butter in a bowl. Press the crumbs into a 9 or 10 inch tart pan, preferably one with a removable bottom. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone, sugar and dulce de leche. Beat on medium speed until well-blended, about 2 minutes. Pour filling into tart shell and chill for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, toast the coconut by heating it in a small skillet over medium to medium-high heat, tossing it often so it doesn't burn. When the coconut is golden brown remove from heat and set aside to cool.
When tart is thoroughly chilled, spread the remaining cup of dulce de leche over the filling, gently spreading it to cover. Be careful not to mush the filling. Spread the toasted coconut over the dulce de leche and drizzle with the melted chocolate.
Hang on to your socks while eating, so as not to knock them off!
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35 comments:

  1. That looks AMAZING! We do have a variety of cookies down here, much more than when I was in Girl Scouts. The only problem with the variety is the temptation to eat a variety!

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  2. It takes a lot of will power to not buy those things in bulk every week now...the girls are hawking them at the exit to the grocery store and those cookies must be laced with something because just wow...

    So first off, to be deprived of that up north? That just isn't right! I'm glad you got to try it though, because secondly, that dessert looks *amazing*!

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  3. I am a thin mints girl myself! my mom was our girl scout leader so our freezer always ended up packed with leftover boxes after the sale had ended.....I can't bring myself to buy them now becuase they are so expensive!! (for a poor college student, that is). Thanks for stopping by my blog...best wishes to your daughter in her studies- Dietetics is a great field.

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  4. Val, What a sweetheart you are! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the cookies. Thank you so much for the link love too! :)

    By the way, a little package came for me too. Thank you so much for the maple sugar. I've never had it before. I can't wait to put it to good use. I'll keep you posted.

    Have a great weekend!

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  5. I'd never be able to choose with so many choices Mary...deciciveness is not one of my qualities.Doesn't the dessert just look amazing Mike. You can probably try it since you have acess to the cookies. I am still searching for something similar up here. Perhaps I could use a candy bar?I enjoyed my visit to your blog Mary:D

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  6. Enjoy the maple sugar Susan:D I love to make poppycock:D

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  7. Neighborhood girls rang my doorbell with a list of all the different cookies we can choose from, they take our order, and then deliver them right to our door! How easy is that! I'm sorry you were deprived,I'd be happy to send you some too when you get a craving! :-)

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  8. I've been wanting to try this too. It just looks so delicious and decadent!! I just bought some of these today... the girl scouts hang out outside the grocery store and attack you as you exit. I'm a sucker.

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  9. OMG Val (i've yet to read this entry) I just saw the photo of girl scout cookies and that was enough for me. Please tell me there is a way I can order girl scout cookies from the states! I used to be a girls scout (proud) and I adore these cookies in particular, as well as the mint ones.

    Ok now I'll read the entry. :)

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  10. Thanks Marie, I'll keep it in mind:D I loved this recipe too Recipe Girl...buy as many Samoas as you can and support the Girl Scouts and make it!!!!Pixie, you can find a nice American friend who would be willing to get them for you and then ship them:D

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  11. That looks absolutely decadent. There are copycat recipes for Samoas on the web, but nothing does them justice. Beautiful.

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  12. I can't believe that you are cookie-starved there in Canada :)

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  13. Samoa cookies are the best! Thats really funny because my mom just bought a bunch of boxes of them yesterday!

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  14. Val, you could be a food stylist..look at that photo people!

    If you were a young lass, I'd buy up all your cookies!

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  15. I missed my calling. When I was young I wanted to work for Canadian Living Magazine Peter:D,,,now I work in a Dr's office, but I am always looking and searching for something that would be viable on the foodie end of things:D

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  16. oh...if only you'd posted a few days earlier! I just finished off my box of Samoas last night!! Oh and I had them ALL TO MYSELF since the Hubby doesn't like coconut :-)

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  17. That is so funny. I am always telling my girlfriends that have little ones in Girl Scouts about the lack of cookie varieties we had in Canada. I would really love one of those white cookies right now though. Isn't it funny what you want when you can't get it?

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  18. It's a good thing that these aren't available over here, as I think I would be in serious trouble.

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  19. I saw this recipe, and have been patiently waiting for my cookies to arrive so I can try it out!!

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  20. I'm sure I could have a little enterprise going here in Canada selling Girl Scout cookies; but then that would take money away from our own little Sparks, Brownies and Girl Guides...we just have to get more variety:D

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  21. I saw Susan make this! This looks INCREDIBLE. I want that. I NEED that.

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  22. Just finished off my last box of Trefoils myself! Some of the cookies I just have to refuse to purchase or else I would eat the whole box in one sitting, such as Thin Mints! Glad I do not have the Samoas!
    Hope you have a great "Springy" weekend Valli!

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  23. Vall My daughter love to make cookies but she is not at the scouts ...yet maybe in the future I will like. This dessert looks reallyamazing, xxxGloria

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  24. I saw this awesome creation on SGCC and was wishing they sold those biccies in the UK!
    Me thinks you are going to have to take those remaining 3 cookies down to the bank and have them stashed away in the vault!

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  25. We always overbuy with my husband ordering and then me ordering, so I just pop the boxes in the freezer. It is a great treat when we are camping in the summer to pull out a box of girl scout cookies. That is an incredible looking dessert!

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  26. For sure these kind of cookies are impossible to find here. But I read about.
    Your desert looks so sinful!

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  27. When I was a brownie all we had was vanilla. No one ever wanted to buy them!!!! There was no hope of making something as delectable as this.

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  28. I have never been a fan of girl scout cookies. But, yikes! that is one fabulously gooey, sticky, sinful dessert! Thanks for sharing it and thanks to Susan too! I'll have to stop at the girl scout table at the market today. Looks like I'll be making a purchase after seeing this post.

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  29. I wish we had these cookies over here as well. This dessert looks absolutely amazing.

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  30. Oh you are deprived...and now I am too in southern Italy where we get precisely *no* Girl Scout cookies. I know. Tragic...luckily I like biscotti ;)

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  31. That looks so decadent and delicious! It has almost everything: cookies, cream cheese, dulce de leche, cocnut, chocolate,...mmm...

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  32. Val,
    See? I've never heard of so many of the cookies you spoke about. We have Girl Guides here in Malaysia too, but I don't think they have cookie sales! That dessert looks just fabulous and as usual, I learn something again from your blog!

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  33. Oooooh Val! This looks heavenly!!! I wish I was a girl scout too! and I also wish we had this sharing traditions here :D

    Please, make some space for me, I'll be there at tea time :D

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  34. oh man, good thing I don't carry cash. those girl scouts know how to sell!

    those cookies look incredible. love the recipe!

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  35. Sadly I don't get to try it either. I just finished my box of these!

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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