The Jealous Crumpet

A sweet little blog


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Girl Scout Cookie Challenge: Thin Mint Covered Pears

together2Tis the season, Girl Scout Cookie Season that is.  It’s similar to Christmas in that you have to shell out funds every time you walk into a retailer, grocery store, gas station, etc. etc. but instead of shoving a dollar into a red bucket for a half-hearted ‘thanks’ you shell out $3.50, but you also get cookies…  and you make some kids happy, but seriously it is really about the cookies.

I don’t have kids of my own, so I feel very comfortable disappointing children.  I’ll give money to charities that I feel are worthy, but just because a cute face is peering up at me I’m not going part with my cash so some 8-year-old can go to Europe.  And there is no way I am letting a kid wash my car for charity.  As I child/teen I participated in these fund-raisers and I can tell you we did a terrible job washing cars, and honestly probably damaged some in the process.

But Girl Scout cookies are amazing, so if I make some child happy by purchasing cookies that I want anyways, that is an added bonus.thinmintsIn fact, the Girl Scouts is a great organization, and I have many friends that still talk fondly of their days as a scout.  The Girl Scout’s mission is to “builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”  How can you argue with that.  Plus most of the cookie sales (after they pay the bakers) goes back  into the organization, and the cookies themselves are kosher, with no trans fats, and conflict free cocoa.For this post I again paired up with Dirt Plate to create a recipe using Girl Scout cookies.  Dirt Plate has 2 daughters in the Girl Scout origination, and they have been selling cookies like crazy.  So to celebrate the winding down of cookie mania we are both cooking with cookies.  “Cooking with Cookies”, now that would be an awesome blog.  Someone out there start that.  I just want credit for coming up with the name.  (emoticon winkey face)thinmints2

Christi of Dirt Plate out did herself this week with beautiful Thin Mint Muffins.  I will definitely will be trying her recipe out this weekend.  Go check her recipe out for yourselves.pears1I’m partial to thin mints, especially frozen (yum), so I made thin mint chocolate covered pears.  I thought pears were a nice change from apples, which I did last week.  Plus pears with chocolate are delicious!pears

In my caramel apple post I totally forgot to buy craft sticks, so I had to cut branches out a tree mid-way through the recipe, but it turned out pretty nice.  I thought I would try it again with the pears.  This time I was able to get a branch with a little leaf on it which was an added bonus.  The incredibly easy recipe below.cookies

Thin Mint Chocolate Covered Pears

4 cleaned branches from a nonpoisonous tree OR 4 craft sticks

3 Pears

1 (7 oz) tub dipping chocolate (Baker’s)

Peppermint Extract-You can also make your own extract with a recipe from Dirt Plate.  Check it out!

15 Thin Mints-Throughly crushed

Insert cleaned branched into the stem end of each pear.  Melt the dipping chocolate per its instructions and after it is melted add 6 drops of peppermint extract and mix into the chocolate.  Immediately dip pear into the chocolate for a nice even coat.  (As you can tell from the photographs I did not get a nice even coat, but a thick lumpy coat. It still tastes good, but it isn’t as pretty).  While the chocolate is still melty roll in the crushed Thin Mints.  Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and let cool thoroughly.

Enjoy knowing you made a girl scout happy, unless you don’t like children and then just enjoy!Untitled-1

For other fruits on sticks and Girl Scout Cookie inspired recipes check out my: Samoa Caramel Apples.


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Girl Scout Cookie Inspired: Samoa Caramel Apples

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You will love these as much as your dentist will hate them!

I never reached full-fledged girl scout status, but for a couple of years I was a brownie with a bad attitude.  I liked the crafts (who doesn’t love making Christmas ornaments out of tuna cans) and hanging out with fellow brownies, but I HATED the uniform.  Actually I hated two specific parts of the uniform: the brown, elastic-waisted, polyester pants (I mean come on, we were 6 not 60) and the felt beanie.  Thank-fully I had the fashion option to wear the polyester jumper, rather than pants, but I was obligated to wear an inane beanie at various Brownie functions, which at six-years old was a devastating experience.  I was a bit of a diva then.  I hated it so much that after a year of enduring a brown, felt bowl on my head, I begged my mother to let me retire from brownies.  Alas, she was a co-leader and there was  no way she was going to suffer through selling cookies, organizing crafts and going to weekly meetings without me suffering as well.  So for another year I endured the mud-colored skullcap and my mother enduring me whining and complaining about it. Here is a photo of me sulking before a parade, and yes, I’m sulking because I have to wear the beanie.  Bless my parents for having to deal with such a drama queen.blogpic46 I actually think Girl Scouts is an amazing organization.  Don’t be a diva ladies, you will miss out like I did.  Right now is Girl Scout cookie season, so I have paired up with DirtPlate to create a post about Girl Scout Cookies.1Y2B4725My favorite cookie then and now is Samoa cookie.  It has everything wonderful in it: caramel, chocolate, coconut, and deliciousness.  I used the Samoa as my inspiration for caramel apples.  They were almost as amazing as the cookie.togetherGirl Scout Inspired Samoa Caramel Apples

5 wooden craft sticks or you can be like me, forget to buy the sticks and have to cut branches out of your tree in the front yard.  Looks cool, but make sure you don’t pick a poisonous tree.  

4 medium apples, washed and dried  

Cooking spray  1 (11 oz) bag caramel bits (Kraft)  

2 tablespoons whipping cream  

1 (7 oz) tub dipping chocolate (Baker’s)  

1/2 cup toasted coconut (toast coconut by spreading flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 6-8 minutes. It burns quickly {seriously, it can burn in 5 to 10 seconds so watch it closely} let cool)

Insert wooden craft sticks into stem end of each apple. Line baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper; spray paper with cooking spray. Place caramel bits and cream in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat 3 minutes or until completely melted, stirring constantly. Dip apples into melted caramel, spooning caramel over apples. Allow excess caramel to drip off. Place apples onto prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour. Melt dipping chocolate according to package directions; drizzle chocolate over apples. Immediately sprinkle with toasted coconut.1Y2B4746Recipe Options 

Options-Mix the coconut into the hot caramel and then dip in chocolate once caramel is cooled.

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Each recipe options look different, but they all taste amazing.

Options-Dip the caramel apple in the chocolate, then sprinkle with toasted coconut.

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Behind the Scenes

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When you have a limited budget, just make your set out of cardboard. 🙂