Girl Scout Cookie Time! Ok – so I wasn’t the best Girl Scout. I never actually made it past brownies. I think I thought we would learn how to make brownies in brownies. We didn’t. And the uniforms were not fun to wear. I really wasn’t good at earning badges either… Anyway – those girl scouts, though. They can bake some cookies! My two favorites? Thin Mints and Samoas. Apparently they aren’t called Samoas anymore, by the way. I’m a sucker for coconut and chocolate and caramel. And who doesn’t like chocolate and mint? Well, a couple of nights ago I was having dinner with friends and we were talking about dessert. Somehow Girl Scout cookies came up. Seeing as how I have lost all touch with the world of scouting, I didn’t even know that it was cookie season. So imagine my surprise when I passed a little table of cookie boxes outside of Walmart (way easier than door to door sales, by the way). I admit I picked up several boxes of cookies on my way out.
Well, those darn boxes were just sitting on my counter taunting me and I thought, what a shame that people have to hoard these cookies in the freezer to make them last longer since they are only available once a year. I decided to try to create my own Girl Scout cookies. They don’t come in a box with inspiring stories and they aren’t sealed for freshness, but I think I got pretty close! Try these when that Girl Scout craving attacks. However, these cookies are more authentic once they have fully cooled so try to be patient in order to get the full effect!
“Girl Scout” Cookie Ingredients:
- 4 sticks room temperature butter (not margarine)
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 3 ¾ Cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Cup shredded coconut
- 1 t coconut extract
- ¼ Cup cocoa powder
- 1 t mint extract
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- ¼ Cup of caramel ice cream topping
- Chocolate Flavored Almond Bark
Cookie Directions:
- Cream the butter in a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Slowly add the flour to the dough. (It will stiffen up)
- Remove ½ of the dough and set it aside. To the dough still in the mixing bowl add: 1/2 Cup shredded coconut and 1 t coconut extract
- Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and gently pat it into a rectangle about ½ inch thick
- Return the dough that was set aside into a clean mixer bowl and add: ¼ Cup cocoa powder, 1 t mint extract
- Once incorporated, Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a log and wrap it well. Set it in the frig to chill
- In a small saucepan, heat 1 can of sweetened condensed milk until it starts to slowly bubble (do not boil)
- Add 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate to the milk. Turn off the heat and stir constantly until the chocolate melts. Stir in 1 Cup of shredded coconut. The mixture should be very thick
- In the microwave, heat ¼ Cup of caramel ice cream topping. Spread it in a thin layer over the coconut cookie dough. Leave about ½ inch border.
- Spread the chocolate coconut topping over the caramel. (about ¾ of a cup) You may not use it all.
- Using the wrap for support, roll the dough, starting with the long side, into a cylinder. Wrap it tightly and move it into the frig to chill.
- Once the dough is chilled, about 3 hours or overnight, unwrap the cookie dough “logs” and slice them into ½” thick slices.
- Place them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes or until set. The edges will turn light golden brown.
- Once the “thin mints” are cooled, dip them into melted chocolate bark (follow the directions) and let them set. It only takes a minute!
Enjoy!!!
To Taste 