Girl Scout Cookie Clones

[PurplePuppy]

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Samoas


2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar (or granulated)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
Dipping Caramel (recipe follows)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (available at health food stores)
12 ounces of chocolate chips

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,
cream together butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in egg
and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl, if necessary.
Add in vanilla. Beat until smooth. With mixer on low, add in salt and
flour. Mix until completely incorporated and dough is uniform. Pull
dough together and shape into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2 1/2
inches. Wrap in parchment paper and freeze for at least 25 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice dough into 1/8 inch disks and
place on baking sheets, about an inch apart. Once you have made 30
cookies, wrap up the cookie dough, freeze, and save for another time.
Use a tiny circle shaped cookie cutter or a large round cake decorating
tip to cut a hole in the center of each disk. Refrigerate for an
additional 10 minutes. Bake for 8 minutes, or until crisp. Let cool
completely.

3. Add coconut into the caramel. Warm the caramel in the microwave for
about 10 seconds if necessary. Take cooled cookies and gently dip them
completely in the caramel. Place on a parchment paper lined baking
sheet. Freeze until set, about 5 minutes.

4. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals,
stirring well after each interval, until fully melted. Place the caramel
coated cookies in the chocolate. Use a fork to pull them out of the
chocolate and place them on a parchment line cookie sheet. Use the
chocolate still on the fork to drizzle stripes over the top of the
cookies. Refrigerate until set.

Dipping Caramel

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar)
4 tablespoons corn syrup
6 tablespoons water
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons heavy cream* (DO NOT use plain whipping cream)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan with high sides, combine sugar, corn
syrup, water, and salt. Whisk until combined, and set over medium-low
heat. Swirl the pan every now and then to help distribute the heat. Use
can use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush the sugar crystals down
the sides of the saucepan. When the sugar dissolves completely, raise
the heat to medium. When it comes to a boil, watch very carefully for
the bubbles to become more viscous (this means that the water has
evaporated and that it is ready to go through the candy stages). As it
is bubbling away, you want it to turn a deep amber color. When it does,
remove the heat and, working quickly, use the spoon to scoop up a small
amount of the candy and drop it into the small glass of water. If the
blob turns hard like lollipop, then it is ready. If the blob is still
soft, put the pan back on the heat. Keep testing until the candy is
hard. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk in butter, 6 tablespoons of cream, and vanilla (Careful here,
as the mixture should bubble violently for about 10 seconds). If the
caramel isn’t smooth right away, return the pan to low heat and whisk
until smooth.

[PurplePuppy]

Homemade Tagalongs

for the cookies:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add in egg and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl, if necessary. Add in vanilla. Beat until smooth. With mixer on low, add in salt and flour. Mix until completely incorporated and dough is uniform. Shape dough into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2-3 inches. Wrap in parchment paper
and freeze for at least 25 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice dough into 1/8 inch disks and place on baking sheets, about a half inch apart. Once you have made 30 cookies, wrap up the cookie dough, freeze, and save for another time. Bake for 8 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

3. Mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar. Form into small disks and press onto cookies. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals, and mix well after each interval. Coat cookies completely in chocolate and lift out with a fork. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set, or freeze to speed up the process.

[PurplePuppy]

Do-Si-Dos: Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies the Girl Scout Way

1 batch of you favorite peanut butter cookie dough
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Roll peanut butter cookie dough into 1/2? balls. Place on lined baking sheet and press down lightly. Bake as directed. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the open air on the cookie sheet so they crisp up just a bit.

Blend together peanut butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Place a small amount on the back of one cookie and sandwich with another. Repeat until all cookies are done.

[PurplePuppy]

Girl Scout Cookies Copycat Recipe: Lemonades

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
zest of 1 lemon

In a stand mixer, cream the butter, then slowly add the remaining
ingredients until mixture sticks together when pressed into a ball.
Roll the dough until 1/4? thick. Cut out with a small cookie cutter.
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees
for 11-14 minutes, or just until the cookies have set. Serve with a
sprinkling of lemon zest and sparkling sugar, if desired

[PurplePuppy]

Thanks-A-Lot Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


In a stand mixer, cream butter. Slowly add the remaining ingredients until a dough forms. Press the dough together into a large ball, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface until 1/4? thick. Cut with a small, round cookie cutter. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

For the Chocolate-Dipped Bottoms

Melt 1 cup high quality dark chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for 30 seconds, stir again. Continue doing this JUST until the chocolate is melted. Be careful to not overheat the chocolate. Dip the bottom half of the cookies in the chocolate coating. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper until cooled and hardened.

[PurplePuppy]

Homemade Trefoils

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
tiny pinch ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in salt, ginger, and lemon zest. Mix to combine. Slowly add in flour, and mix until well combined, but do not overmix. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes. Place on a cookie sheet, at least an inch apart and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until almost starting to brown on the edges.

[PurplePuppy]

Homemade Chocolate-Thin Mint Cookies

Cocoa Wafer Cookies
3 T. butter
1 egg white
1/4 c. brown sugar
pinch of Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. flour (plus 1/4 c.)
2 drops pure peppermint oil


Combine all ingredients together. Add flour as needed, until dough is roll-able and not sticky at all. Roll verrrry thin. Cut into desired shapes. Bake at 325 for 4-7 minutes, or until cookies have firmed and browned slightly around edges. Remove from oven and cool.

Peppermint Buttercream Layer
2 c. powdered sugar
4 T. melted butter
2-3 drops pure peppermint oil
1/2 tsp. heavy whipping cream


Mix together until it becomes thick and easy to roll with a rolling pin. Roll until about 1/4? thick. Cut into desired shape. Place atop cooled cookies. Place cookies into melted chocolate CANDIQUIK,* spoon chocolate atop until fully covered. Allow to dry on a piece of parchment paper.


Makes about 30 cookies

* I'd just use real chocolate!

[PurplePuppy]

Cinna-Spins Recipe


Ingredients

6 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon (for rolling dough in)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add butter and sugar to a mixing bowl.
Mix well. Add egg and mix again. Add vanilla and mix. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Mix until just combined.

2. Take 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a log shape 5 inches long. Create a line, 5 inches long with the cinnamon, kind of mounded. Let the dough touch the cinnamon just on one side. Then roll the cookie up like a cinnamon bun with the cinnamon side on the inside.

3. Place cookies on baking sheet and bake 7 – 10 minutes.