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Get the most out of your Girl Scouts cookies

Posted at 11:20 AM, Mar 14, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-14 11:26:50-04

RICHMOND, Va. - It’s that time of year again, where we all rush to buy our Girl Scouts cookies! And, while they’re delicious treats on their own, Tammy Brawley from the Green Kitchen RVA joined us, along with Girl Scouts Knewlyn E. from Troop 147 and Jordyn C. from Troop 650, to show us some creative new ways to enjoy your favorite cookies.

Cookies are available now! You can download the Cookie Finder App to find where you can pick yours up. If you’re interested in joining a troop or volunteering with the Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, you can visit their website, www.comgirlscouts.org.

Caramel deLite™ Milkshake

Yields: One 16-ounce milkshake or two 8-ounce milkshakes

9 Caramel deLite™ cookies

¼ cup coconut milk

¾ pint Caramel Ice Cream *recipe following

Chocolate Sauce for garnish *recipe following

Toasted Coconut for garnish

Combine cookies and coconut milk in blender and blend for about 10 seconds. Add ice cream and blend until smooth.

Swirl chocolate sauce around inside of glass. Add milkshake and garnish with toasted coconut. Enjoy.

Chocolate Sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream

12 ounces chocolate chips

Place the cream and chocolate chips in a bowl set over simmering water and stir just until the chocolate is melted. Once cooled, add to a squirt bottle for drizzling.

Caramel Ice Cream

*I adapted a Salted Caramel Ice Cream recipe from Epicurious, simply omitting the salt, given the nature of the end desired result of a Caramel deLite milkshake.

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups sugar, divided

2 ¼ cups heavy cream, divided

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs

*Ice cream maker is needed

Preparation

Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, whisking to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt. Stop whisking and cook, gently swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is a dark amber color. *be careful, it will burn quickly at this stage

Gently pour 1 ¼ cups cream (it will splatter), and cook, stirring until all of caramel is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in another small pan, bring milk and remaining cup cream and remaining ¼ cup sugar just to a boil, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and add a ladle of hot milk to the egg mixture, tempering the eggs. Pour egg mixture back into remaining milk mixture and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. *this only takes a few moments

Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel. Chill custard until very cold 3-6 hours, or overnight.

Freeze custard in an ice cream maker and transfer to an air-tight container and put in freezer to firm up.

Thin Mint™ Truffles

*Yields: 20, recipe can be doubled

1/2 sleeve Thin Mints™

8 ounces generic chocolate chips, (or 4 ounces each higher quality semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates)

½ cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ - 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (tasting after adding ¾ teaspoon- add remaining ¼ teaspoon if desired)

Small muffin liners

Place Thin Mints into a food processor and process until fine crumbs. Pour into a small and bowl and set aside.

Place chocolate in a heat-proof stainless or mixing bowl.

Heat cream in a small saucepan just until it boils. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 30 seconds.

Pour cream through a fine-mesh sieve over the chocolate and stir until smooth.

Whisk in vanilla and peppermint extracts, until smooth. Set mixture aside at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or longer to ensure a firm texture is achieved. *firm, yet pliable to roll into truffles

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Roll 2 teaspoons chocolate mixture into a ball, and place on parchment paper. *Be consistent with sizes – a small portion scoop works best.

Toss each truffle in bowl of Thin Mint crumbs until well coated and place into small muffin liners.

Serve at room temperature.

Thanks-A-Lot™ Mini Chocolate Tarts

1 package thanks-a-lot ™

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 ounces melted butter

mini pie tins

¾ cup heavy cream

1/3 cup whole milk

9 ounces generic chocolate chips (*or 5 ounces high-quality bittersweet and 4 ounces high-quality semisweet)

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

chocolate whipped cream for garnish *recipe following

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place thanks-a-lot ™ cookies into a food processor with sugar and salt. Process until fine crumbs and then add melted butter and process just until well combined.

Using approximately 2 tablespoons, place crumbs into mini pie tins and press up the sides. Use an empty tin to help mold crumbs into place.

Place tins onto a small sheet tray and bake about 12 minutes. Do not let brown.

Remove from oven and increase temperature to 325 degrees.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the cream and milk. Bring the mixture jut to a simmer, with bubbles forming around the edge. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until smooth. Add vanilla extract and whisk thoroughly.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk egg, egg yolk and flour until smooth. Whisk into chocolate mixture until completely blended.

Pour mixture into pie tins and place on a baking sheet and into oven for 20-25 minutes, until edges are set. Remove and let cool.

Garnish with chocolate whipped cream. Grate a chocolate chip over top of whipped cream. *a microplane works best here.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

1 ½ teaspoons chocolate extract *found at specialty stores

or a chocolate liqueur works as well

Place cream and confectioner’s sugar in a mixing bowl and whip until mixture starts to thicken. Add chocolate extract or liqueur and continue to whip until medium peaks form.

Place mixture into a piping bag for a more elegant garnish, or simply dollop a spoonful on top of tarts.

*any liqueur placed into heavy cream will make a great garnish. I use a bourbon for my Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie at the holidays.

{THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA}