That time of year where girls outside of shopping centers make you ditch your New Year’s diet plans, otherwise known as Girl Scout cookie season, has come and gone. If you’ve stocked up with a bunch of boxes, your stash might last you a month or so, but what do you do after? If you’re willing to make a trip to the grocery store and put in a little elbow grease, you might not have to wait until next year for the delectable delights.
For over a century, Girl Scouts have served as trailblazers and role models across the country. The origin of the youth organization dates back to 1912 in Savannah, Ga., where 18 girls became the first of many classes.
There are six levels that can be achieved throughout the duration of the program: Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior and, finally, Ambassador, added to the troops in 2011. The Girl Scouts sell cookies door to door, online, through stands and have even modernized with a new mobile app that displays locations selling the famous cookies.
The annual cookie sales serve as a way for Girl Scout troops to fund themselves and learn about leadership and money management.
As of 2023, there are 12 different flavors of Girl Scout Cookies: thin mints, shortbread, s’mores, raspberry rally, adventurefuls, trefoils, caramel chocolate chip, samoas/caramel delites, tagalong/peanut butter patties, do-si-dos/peanut butter sandwich, toffee-tastic, lemonades and lemon-ups. The fan-favorite flavor is arguably the thin mints and samoas. The newest flavor might surprise you though — the raspberry rally is only available online.
While cookie sales are a huge success year after year, the organization says it doesn’t want to overwhelm the girls by selling them year-round. Since it doesn’t look like that’ll change anytime soon, we’ve got you covered with some of the greatest recipes from the greatest Girl Scouts and their wonderful chef fanbase to satisfy all your Girl Scout cookie cravings.
Samoas Recipe
Ingredients:
(Dough)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup) at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
(Coconut Topping)
- 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
- 20 ounces store bought caramel
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 12 ounces dark chocolate
Instructions:
(Cookies)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed butter.
4. Add the milk and vanilla and blend together to combine.
5. Once combined, separate dough in half. Press each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about an hour.
6. Once the dough has chilled, roll out each disk on a lightly floured surface until it is about ⅛ inch thick. Cut out cookies with a doughnut cutter or use two cookie cutters of different sizes to get the hole in the middle. Place the cookies on a baking sheet.
7. Bake the cookies for 10–15 minutes until they are pale golden brown. Transfer cookies onto a wire rack to cool.
(Coconut Topping)
1. Spread the coconut onto a baking sheet lined. Bake the coconut for 10–15 minutes in a 350 F oven until toasted.
2. Melt the caramels and milk in a double boiler over medium-low heat. Stir until fully melted. Remove from heat and combine 1/2 of the melted caramel with the toasted coconut in a large bowl. Mix.
3. Use the remaining caramel to spread a thin layer onto the cookies. Use your hands to press the coconut mixture onto the caramel.
4. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler. Once melted dip the bottom of the cookie into the chocolate and place them on a baking sheet. Use a piping bag or cut a plastic bag to drizzle the remaining chocolate on the top of the cookies.
5. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate hardens.
Thin Mint Recipe
Ingredients
(Dough)
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
(Chocolate Coating)
- 2 ⅔ cups semisweet chocolate (finely chopped)
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon neutral-flavored vegetable oil
Instructions
(Dough)
1. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until fluffy. Add in the egg white, vanilla extract and peppermint extract and beat until combined. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder and salt together.
2. With the mixer on low, mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until a dough is formed. Shape the dough into a flattened disc, then wrap well and refrigerate until firm, about two hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F.
4. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to ⅛-inch-thick and with a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles of dough. Place the cookies 1 ½ inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the cookies look dry and baked. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
(Coating)
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate, peppermint extract, vanilla extract and vegetable oil and heat until melted.
2. Using a fork, immerse each cookie in the chocolate, then lift out and return to the baking sheets to set completely before serving.
3. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.
Raspberry Rally Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ stick butter, unsalted
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons raspberry extract
- ½ egg
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups semi sweet or milk chocolate chips
- Red food dye
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare a baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper in advance.
2. In a mixing bowl, blend together the butter and salt.
3. Add the sugar and mix together again until combined.
4. Add the egg and raspberry extract along with a drop of red food dye. Mix the wet ingredients.
5. Measure the flour into the bowl and mix together until a dough forms. It shouldn’t be super stiff, but also not sticky.
6. Take your circle cookie cutter and cut out circles.
7. Place the cut out dough on the prepared baking sheet. Take away the excess and repeat the rolling out process to finish cutting out the rest of the cookies.
8. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes.
9. While that is baking, heat the chocolate in a mixing bowl in the microwave at 30 second intervals until completely melted.
10. Once the cookies are done, let them cool for 10 minutes.
11. Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate and flip to fully coat with a fork. Drain the excess chocolate and place back on the parchment paper to sit.
12. Let them harden in the refrigerator for five minutes and enjoy.
words_jamie moses. photo&design_lizzie kristal.
This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2023 print issue.
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