As you probably know, Dancing Deer CEO Trish Karter rode more than 1,500 miles to promote awareness for Family Homelessness.  She has done a great thing.  She talked with people, shared with them, and fed them.  I only wish my blogging efforts could compare.

To celebrate the final day of blogging about Dancing Deer products, I want to end with the first idea I ever had about what to do with Dancing Deer brownies:

Dancing Deer Brownies Wrapped in Phyllo Dough

We used to go to a restaurant called Coyote Grill here in Kansas City where my wife always ordered the brownie wrapped in phyllo dough.  I couldn’t not let this series end without sharing it with all of you.

Wrapping a Brownie in Phyllo

Like all things dessert, BlogWellDone.com is going to keep this recipe as easy as possible.  Goodness knows if it’s difficult, I’m never going to be able to make it.  That’s why this recipe is so easy.  I have to fix this desset for my wife every once in a while or I get into loads of trouble.

You will need:

• 2 ounces butter
• 1 ounce honey
• 3 sheets phyllo
• 1 Dancing Deer peppermint brownie
• 1 egg

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Thaw the phyllo, but leave in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Melt the butter in the microwave or over medium heat.  Add the honey and mix thoroughly.

Take out the phyllo, set the brownie in the middle of the sheets, liberally brush the butter/honey mixture on the brownie and then wrap the phyllo around the brownie.

Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the top of the phyllo liberally.

Bake at 350 degrees until the phyllo turns golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Top with whip cream, ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel or whatever strikes your fancy.

Enjoy!

And Now For Some Indigestion

Even after 1,500 miles and 15 blog posts, family homelessness is not just going to go away if we don’t all pitch in and help.  Get involved with your local homeless shelter, donate to your local food pantry, and give as you can.  All it takes is a lot of people doing just a little.

Good luck.

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So, the first order of business is to write what would have been the post for that day.  Then on Monday I’ll do a make up post as way of, hopefully, making things up to the truly awesome folks at Dancing Deer.  Anyway, today I’ll be making

Brownie Stuffed and White Chocolate Stuffed Pie Crusts

Like so many of the dishes we’ve been discussing and devouring over Ms. Karter’s ride, this one turns out to be pretty simple.  Dancing Deer does all the hard work turning raw ingredients into delicious brownies, cakes, and cookies.  All we need to do add a few more ingredients and we have an entirely new dessert experience.

Stuffing Some Pie Crust

This one is all in the roll.  You just take a prepackaged pie crust, cut it into triangles, line one edge with white chocolate chips or coins, add some tasty Dancing Deer baked goods, roll and bake.  You should probably let them cool, but that means you have more self control than I do.

You will need:

• 1 store bought rolled pie crust (square if possible)
• 6 tablespoons white chocolate chips or coins
• 4 Dancing Deer brownies or 8 cookies, crumbled
• (optional) 1 egg

Preheat your oven to the temperature suggested on the pie crust’s instructions.

Thaw the pie crust and cut into 12 pieces.  The pieces should be roughly 2 inches at their widest and about 3 inches long.

Along the 2 inch-wide edge (what would be the “bottom” of the triangle), put 1/2 tablespoon of white chocolate chips and 1/3 of brownie that has been crumbled.  Repeat for the other 11 triangles and put them on a greased cookie sheet.

Optionally beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to form an egg wash and brush liberally on the pie crust rolls.

Bake per the crust’s instructions and enjoy!

And Now For Some Indigestion

According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, homeless children get ill four times as often as childen who are not homeless.

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However, we’re still making delicious desserts with all of Dancing Deer’s mind blowing baked goods.

Before we get to the recipe, I want to do a little housekeeping.  First, today is the last day of Ms. Karter’s ride so we’ll definitely be doing a Dancing Deer recipe.  Then tomorrow, we’re going to take a quick break so I can do a little review of a product I am very excited about, then we’ll come back and I’ll do my make up for the day I missed and my extra special bonus recipe.

Now, with that being said, on to today’s recipe:

Dancing Deer Cookie Coated Truffles!

Who doesn’t love a truffle?  So rich and chocolately and surprisingly easy to make.  Now, add in some crumbled up Dancing Deer cookies and you have a recipe no one will be able to resist.

It’s Dancing Deer Truffle Time!

The truffle recipe is actually courtesy of Mrs. WellDone by way of the joyofbaking.com.  However, my wife went the next step and did the Dancing Deer cookie coating.  I know you’ll like it.

You will need:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces white or semisweet chocolate chips or pieces
• Crushed Dancing Deer coconut lime, Dancing Deer chocolate tangerine, and Dancing Deer lavender cookies

The first thing you need to do is make the ganache.  To do that, bring the cream and butter to a boil.  Pour into a bowl containing the chocolate chips.  Mix until the chocolate melts and then put in the refrigerator to set.

Once the chocolate is firm, create balls of ganache of about one heaping tablespoon each.  Gently roll each ball in one of the types of crushed cookies and then put back in the refrigerator to cool.

Then it’s time to enjoy!

Notes:

When my wife made these truffles, she said the white chocolate was ready to work immediately after it was taken from the refrigerator.  The dark chocolate had to be warmed for a bit.

And Now For Some Indigestion

Want to know how your state is doing in the fight against homeless children?  America’s Youngest Outcasts has a map showing how each state ranks and discusses what can be done.

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So I know we’ve been concentrating on desserts and junk food and candy and all that, so I thought today, the second to last day of Dancing Deer CEO Trish Karter’s ride to raise awareness of family homelessness, I would give you a recipe for something that is healthy.

Frozen Bananas

Actually, that part about this dish being healthy was an absolute and total fabrication. I mean, there are bananas in this dish. But I’m pretty darn sure the white chocolate and the cookies pretty much outweigh the bananas’ nutrients. Then again, you gotta have a little fun, right? Or maybe 15 days’ worth!!

Making Frozen Bananas

Sadly, like yesterday’s work with candy making, making frozen bananas is going to take time. Like overnight kind of time. On the other hand, it is going to be worth it. And frozen bananas can be made in batches and enjoyed.

You will need:

• 8 bananas
• 4 Dancing Deer coconut lime cookies
• 8 ounces white chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter

Peel the bananas and put them on a cookie sheet. Place them in the freezer overnight. Do not remove them from the freezer until you are ready to dip them.

Break the Dancing Deer coconut lime cookies into fine pieces.

Put the melting chocolate and butter into a bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 15 seconds. Continue stiring and microwaving until the chocolate is completely melted.

Dip the bananas in the chocolate and then roll them in the cookie crumbs.

Put back into the freezer until serving time. Remove and enjoy!

And Now For Some Indigestion

A full-time worker earning minimum wage cannot afford a one bedroom unit priced at the Fair Market Rent anywhere in the United States. Where are they to live?

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White Chocolate Cookie Candy

So there is good news and bad news with candy making. The good news is that it is de-licious. The bad news is that, sometimes, it takes a few steps. And it almost always takes time. Time you could be eating candy. The good news is you won’t need the entire bag of Dancing Deer cookies so you can always munch on some of them while you wait for the candy to set.

How many other candy recipes can you say that about?

Making the White Chocolate Candy

So rather than being overly difficult, this recipe is just time consuming. You will be melting chocolate and then allowing it to set, which should take about 4 hours. Still, like I said, there are always the extra cookies…

You will need:

• 4 Dancing Deer Chocolate Tangerine cookies
• 8 ounces melting white chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter + butter to grease a cookie sheet
• (optional) Sprinkles

Crumble the cookies into very small bits.

Put the melting chocolate and butter into a bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 15 seconds. Continue stiring and microwaving until the chocolate is completely melted.

Once the chocolate is melted, add the cookie crumbs and gently fold them into the chocolate. Pour on to a greased cookie sheet, optionally cover with sprinkles, and put in the refrigerator. Let the candy set for at least 4 hours, but preferrably overnight.

Break apart and enjoy!

Notes:

You don’t have to use Dancing Deer chocolate tangerine cookies, but I would definitely use something with a little flavor to it. Nothing against the Dancing Deer shortbread cookies, but they won’t add much to the party. The Dancing Deer molasses spice cookies, Dancing Deer monster cookies, or Dancing Deer sugar cane lime cookies are all good alternatives.

And Now For Some Indigestion

12% of homeless children have been placed in foster care, compared with 1% of other children. So not only do families lose their homes, they lose their children.

Thanks to MonkeySimon for the picture.

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My wife is the dessert genius and this one is all her.  It was completely her idea to take brownies and turn them into:

Brownie Bit Ice Cream

To make this recipe, you are going to need an ice cream maker.  I am sure there’s some fancy-schmancy way of making the ice cream without an ice cream maker, but I am equally sure it’s probably got a ton of steps and it’s going to be hard.  That’s why we stuck with the ice cream maker.  All you do is freeze, mix, and activate.

Then there’s ice cream.

Mixing Brownie Bit Ice Cream

The beauty of the ice cream machine is all you have to do is set it and forget it.

You will need:

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With that being said, I wanted to talk about:

Comfort Food

If you know me at all, you know I have issues with the term “comfort food”.  In my mind, it’s too close to “stress eating” or “eating when unhappy”.  That’s bad, mmm kay?

However, with that being said, there is something about eating the certain foods that can  get you through a rough spot or an illness or just take you back to happier times.  I know when I get sick, all I want is hot and sour soup and wontons.  When I visit my grandma, I want her chicken and noodles.

Dancing Deer CEO Trish Karter’s ride to raise awareness for family homelessness got me thinking about comfort foods.  As she talks with women across the country struggling with homelessness, she is going to ask them about the foods they miss.  I never thought about it before, but if I am homeless, the chances of getting my favorite comfort foods are pretty much out the door.

I mean does the Chinese delivery guy go the shelter?  Would there be a communal stove to make chicken and noodles or tuna fish patties and noodles for my wife?  I’m guessing not.

It’s adding insult to injury that people who are homeless, even if they can find food, probably have little to no chance of having their comfort food.  In the grand scheme of things, not being able to have their favorite meal may seem like the least of their worries.  Still, think about the last time you struggled with the bills (let alone getting tossed out on the street)…wouldn’t your favorite treat have given you a moment’s respite against the worries of the day?

All I can hope is that for the few women that Ms. Karter talks to (few in the grand scheme of the larger problem), she can provide some comfort.  Carrying around a load of brownies on her bike might not be feasible, but it is my sincere hope that those she talks to might get their own bag of brownies in the mail like the ones Dancing Deer sent me.

Sometimes a little comfort can go along way.

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Today’s recipe is the second to use Dancing Deer cookies:

Monster Cookies in Puff Pastry

I love puff pastry.  I love absolutely everything about it: the richness, the butteriness, the calories.  Well, maybe not the calories, but whatever!  If you haven’t had a monster cookie, the Dancing Deer monster cookies are amazing treats stuffed with nuts and raisins.  They were really good.

They were better in a puff pastry covered in caramel.

Monster Cookies in Puff Pastry

To make this recipe go, I used premade puff pastry shells.  I just baked them, cut their tops of, hollowed them out, and filled them with cookie and caramel.

You will need:

• 1 Package puff pastry shells (containing 8 shells)
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 Package Dancing Deer monster cookies
• 8 tablespoons caramel sauce
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar

Brush the top of the pastry shells with butter and bake according to their package instructions.  I personally found that my instructions told me to bake them a bit too long, so if the package gives you a range, go for the smaller time.

Once done baking, cut the tops off with a knife and carefully cut out the inner pastry.  Fill the pastry with crumbled monster cookies and caramel.

Put the top back on the pastry.  Mix the rest of the butter with the brown sugar to create a sugar topping and spread on the puff pastry.

After that I highly recommend that you enjoy!

And Now For Some Indigestion

Accoding to the The National Center on Family Homelessness, the incident of separation is much higher in homeless families than in other similiar situations.  Therefore, homelessness is a problem that can have both immediate dire short-term and long-term consequences.

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Lavender Cookie Crusted Lemon Cheesecake

My wife pointed out that lavender and lemon make a great combination, which was the inspiration for this recipe. I have made a number of Oreo and graham cracker crusts, but never lavender cookies. Then the cheesecake makes the perfect complement.

Making the Lavender Crust and the Lemon Cheesecake

This crust is very easy and the cheesecake is my favorite from Paula Deen.

You will need:

• 2 Packages lavender cookies
• 1 Stick butter
• 3 Packages cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup fine sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Juice of 2 lemon

To make the crust:
Crush the cookies in a plastic bag. They need to be very small pieces. Mix with melted butter and line the bottom of a springform pan and pack.

To make the cheesecake:
Put the rest of the ingredients in the mixer and mix well.

Pour into the springform pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Put into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Eat and enjoy!

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The good news? I have a recipe!

Ganache Dipped Shortbread Cookies

Okay, so this is hardly the most inventive recipe, but I want to save the good stuff for when I have two hands to type.

Making Ganache Dipped Shortbread Cookies

You will need:

• 1 package shortbread cookies
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 9 ounces dark chocolate chips
• (optional) shredded coconut, crumbled Oreos, or cracked peanuts

Take the cookies out of the package.

In a sauce pan, add the heavy cream and the butter. Bring to a boil.

The minute the cream is boiling, pour into a heat safe bowl containing the chocolate chips. Stir to melt the chocolate.

Dip the cookies in the chocolate and sprinkle the coconut, peanuts, or Oreos on the chocolate.

Put in the refrigerator overnight to set.

Serve with milk and enjoy!

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2. White Chocolate Cookie Candy – Ride For Family Homelessness Day 14So with a load of Dancing Deer brownies, cookies, and...
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