Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

Ingredients:

Wafer:

1 15.25-oz package fudge cake mix *

2 1/2 T. shortening, melted

1/2 c. cake flour, measured then sifted

1 egg

2 1/2 T. water

nonstick cooking spray, for cookie sheet

Chocolate coating:

3 10-oz bags semi-sweet chocolate chips

5/8 t. peppermint extract

5 T. shortening

*I used Betty Crocker's Chocolate Fudge cake mix. Thought about the triple chocolate fudge though.

Recipe:

1. Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time until the dough forms.*

2. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick.

5. To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2-inch diameter. **

6. Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating of non-stick spray. ***

7. Bake for 10 minutes.

8. Remove the wafers from the oven and cool completely.

9. To make the coating, combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening in a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. ****

10. Heat on 50% power for 2 minutes, stir gently, then heat for an additional minute. Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth.

11. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so that the excess chocolate runs off and then place the cookies side by side on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

12. Refrigerate until firm.

*You'll be tempted to add more water, but don't! The dough will be a dry and clumpy dough when everything has been mixed through. Form into a ball before covering and chilling.

** Really, it doesn't matter how small or big the diameter is. The 1 1/2-inch diameter is to replicate the Girl Scout look. If you go with the 1 1/2-inch, then you will come out with about 90 cookies. My cookies had about 2-2.5-inch diameter and I came out with about 45ish (and some of them were definitely thicker than 1/16-inch).

*** I just lay down parchment paper instead of using the cooking spray.

**** I have a terribly hard time getting my chocolate to the right consistency in the microwave, so I just do it on the stove top. If you don't have a double boiler, no fret, just make sure you watch the chocolate and don't burn or overheat it. I melt the shortening first, add the peppermint extract, and then stir handfuls of chips at a time until everything is melted and smooth.

Rating: 5 of 5

Seriously, how bad can a thin mint be? This recipe pretty much nails the Girl Scout cookie. That's a great thing and a bad thing....if you know what I mean. Don't let dipping the cookies scare you. It's not that hard. This is, really, a pretty easy recipe. And, hey!, it's a cookie that I made and didn't burn! Success!

Source: Food.com, Girl Scout Thin Mints

Snowman Cupcakes

Ingredients:

12 cupcakes, baked and cooled

1/4 c. each red and green decorating sugar *

24 mini vanilla wafers *

1 16-oz can vanilla frosting

4 candy orange fruit slices

1/4 c. dark chocolate frosting **

1 c. white decorating sugar ***

6 each, red and green licorice twists

24 pink large sprinkles ****

24 mini brown M&Ms **

* I actually just used gum drops for the ear muffs. Cut down on a lot of work and supplies.

** I didn't use the frosting for the mouth. Instead I used mini chocolate chips for the mouth and eyes.

*** Didn't use the decorating sugar. I thought the white frosting was enough.

**** Didn't use the sprinkles.

Recipe:

1. Place the red and green sugars in separate bowls. Spread a thin layer of vanilla frosting on top of the mini vanilla wafers to cover. Press the top of 12 wafers into the red sugar to coat. Repeat with the remaining 12 wafers and press into the green sugar. Set aside. (These are used for the ear muffs)

2. Cut 12 1-inch triangles from the orange slices to make the noses. Spoon the dark chocolate frosting into a freezer-weight ziplock bag. Spoon 1/4 c. of the vanilla frosting into a freezer-weight ziplock bag. Place the white decorating sugar in a shallow bowl. Spread the remaining frosting on top of cupcakes and make a smooth mound. Roll the tops of the frosted cupcakes into the white sugar to cover completely.

3. Add the cut orange candy as the nose in the center of the cupcake. Add the chocolate candies as the eyes. Snip a very small corner from the bag with the chocolate frosting and pipe a mouth. Add the pink sprinkles as cheeks.

4. Cut the licorice twists into 12 6-inch lengths for the bands of the earmuffs. Insert the 2 cut ends into either side of the cupcake for the headband. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a dot of vanilla frosting on either side where the licorice enters the cupcakes. Add the like colored vanilla wafers as the muffs. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

Rating: 4 of 5

I actually didn't eat any of the cupcakes, but how bad can it be? Cute idea. Kids LOVE them. We took them to Ally's class Christmas program and the cupcakes disappeared quickly. Although it requires a lot of supplies, they making of the cupcakes isn't bad. It goes pretty quickly.

Source: Allofyou.com, Snowmen Cupcakes