What Happens When You Eat the Last Thin Mint? Make Your Own

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replying the story in its archived form does not constitute a re-publiccation of the story.

Girl Scout cookie season is over. However many boxes you ordered from all the little girls who knocked on your door have since been delivered, and most likely, eaten. If you aren't out yet, it's because you either ordered the cookies in bulk, or you're about to be out. (As I type this, I'm eating the last Samoa in the box...sigh) Rather than waiting around until next cookie season, why not make your own? Here are three of the most popular homemade Girl Scout cookie recipes out there that also happen to be the easiest to make. Best of all, they're not $4 a box.

THIN MINTS

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• 3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter or margarine until creamy. Add the sugar, and beat until mixed well. Beat in egg and mint extract.
2. Sift flour, cocoa and salt together into a small bowl. Add flour mixture by halves into creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
3. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into two 1 1/2-inch diameter cylinders. Wrap each cylinder in waxed paper, and refrigerate 5 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thirty minutes prior to baking, place both cylinders in freezer.
5. Remove one cylinder at a time, and slice 1/4 inch thick pieces with very sharp knife. Place on cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Melt 1/4 cup butter or margarine and the semisweet chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Drizzle over warm cookies. Place on wire racks, and let cool until completely hardened.

TREFOILS

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar plus additional amount for topping
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

1. Cream butter and the cup of sugar together.
2. Next, add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt and baking powder.
3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes (or any shape for that matter), and sprinkle sugar on top, if desired.
5. Bake in a quick oven (375°) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.

SAMOAS

Ingredients:

• Tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Karo light corn syrup
• 1/2 of a 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups toasted coconut
• 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a 2 quart saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, sugar and corn syrup.
2. Heat to a full boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Boil for 3 minutes, while still stirring constantly.
3. Slowly pour in sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly. Continue cooking over low heat until candy thermometer reaches 220-228 degrees.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Beat until creamy. Immediately stir in toasted coconut and mix well.
5. Spoon by tablespoonfuls into circular mounds onto buttered wax paper. Flatten slightly. With the end of a wooden spoon, poke a small round hole into the center of each cookie.
6. Cool completely.
7. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle thinly in stripes over cookies. Let chocolate harden at room temperature.