How To Make Your Own Girl Scout Cookie Masterpiece

This week in WNY, Over 1.7 Million Girl Scout cookies will be delivered.
So, if you want to get creative with your cookies, how about a few Girl Scout Cookie recipes? The official Girl Scout site welcomes you,

Grab a box—or two, three, or more!—of your favorite Girl Scout Cookies, then try out these easy peasy recipes courtesy of Taste of Home®. You can make your very own Girl Scout Cookie–inspired masterpiece to share with friends and family. Amazingly delicious!

Here are two that stood out to me, for sheer decadence:

1) Mini Thin Mints® Mocha Ice Cream Sandwiches

Created by: Liz Sorenson

Prep: 15 min. Process: 40 min. + freezing

2 cups half-and-half cream
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 cups heavy whipping cream
1 package (9 ounces) Girl Scout Thin Mints® cookies
1 cup chocolate ice cream topping

Stir together half-and-half, sugar, coffee granules and extracts until sugar dissolves. Stir in heavy cream. Coarsely chop 8 Thin Mints® cookies.

Fill cylinder of ice cream maker no more than two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions, adding chopped Thin Mints® cookies during the last 2 minutes of processing. (Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Remove from ice cream maker; mix in chocolate topping. Transfer ice cream to freezer containers, allowing headspace for expansion. Freeze until firm, 4-6 hours.

To make sandwiches, place 1 tablespoon ice cream between two Thin Mints® cookies. Yield: 1 dozen.

Or, if you like the Peanut Butter Patties, this recipe is adorable:

2) Nutty Caramel Turtles

Created by: Michele Kusma

Nutty Caramel Turtles is the Candies category winner of the 2015 National Girl Scout Cookie recipe Contest Sponsored by Taste of Home®. Congrats on a job deliciously well done!

Prep: 10 min. Bake: 5 min. + standing

3 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each)
12 caramels
60 pecan halves
12 Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patties®/Tagalongs® cookies

Preheat oven to 250°. Break each chocolate bar into fourths. Place each piece 2 in. apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top with one caramel.

Bake 5-7 minutes or until caramel just starts to soften. Immediately press one pecan half on one side for head; press four pecan halves onto each corner for legs. Place one Peanut Butter Patties®/Tagalongs® cookie over the top of each candy, pressing down to secure. Let stand until set. Yield: 1 dozen.

Here is the link to them all-Yum!

Categories: Arts + Culture, Family + Kids