Everyone loves Girl Scout cookies. It’s just a fact of life. Personally, Samoas were always my favorite, but I feel like thin mints are always the top fan favorite when you ask around. Back in the day I was quite the girl scout cookie saleswoman myself. My mom was my troop leader and I was always the top seller in the troop. Probably thanks to my aunts, uncles and neighbors who I won over with my girl scout charm.

These were fairly easy to make. The key is the peppermint extract. It’s very potent so definitely one of those ingredients you want to carefully measure.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Coating

• 10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

 

Step 1:  Cream together butter and sugar. Turn the mixer to a lower speed and mix in milk, vanilla and peppermint extracts.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, sift together corn starch, flour, salt, and cocoa. This is one of those times you really do need to sift it separately.

Step 3: Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix together on a slow speed until it is incorporated. The dough will be a little bit dry.

Step 4: Divide the dough into two balls. Roll each of them into even-size logs. I am bad with measurements so I really don’t know how to explain how big it should be. Maybe 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Then put the logs into the freezer for 2-3 hours.

 

Step 5: Slice the cookies into about 1/4 inch slices. It’s important to make them as even as possible so they bake evenly.

Step 6: Bake at 375 degrees for about 12-14 minutes. You need to watch these carefully so they don’t burn. Mine were ready at about 12 minutes. The way you can tell is the edges will be a little firm but the bottom won’t be dark.

 

Oh what’s that? Summer manicure color. OPI Big Apple Red.

 

Step 7: Put the cookies on a wire rack to cool.

Step 8: Over very low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips. You can do this in a microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds or less. I did mine in a saucepan on the stove. It is very easy to burn the chocolate and then there’s nothing you can do to save it, so be patient (a struggle of mine) and keep stirring. I added in a dash of peppermint extract.

 

 

Step 9: Using two forks, coat the cookies with a layer of chocolate and then put on the wire rack to cool. This may come as a surprise but I got impatient, and just used my fingers to dip them. So now all of my finger tips are burned, but I’d say it was worth it.

 

And there you have it. A Girl Scout treat even more delicious when it is homemade! The cookie list is getting more competitive each week, so cross your fingers because this is a coworker cookie Monday you’ll want to get your cookies early for!