Our baking expert’s tips on how to make Girl Scout cookie dupes at home – WPRI.com

The main problem with Girl Scout cookies is the short window you have to buy them. These treats are only available through your local council for a period of six to eight weeks. This leaves many weeks when cookies are not available.

To figure out if there’s a way to get that irresistible Girl Scout cookie flavor the other 44-46 weeks of the year, we asked our baking expert, Andrea Boudewijn, if Girl Scout cookies could be fooled. . In this article, Andrea answers that question and provides a recipe for a mouth-watering Girl Scout cookie-themed dessert.

Can Girl Scout cookies be tricked?

When you can’t have something, you tend to want it even more. That’s part of the reason America loves Girl Scout cookies. The other part is because they are so delicious. Whether it’s the ever-popular Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, or classic Trefoils, just by thinking about your favorite Girl Scout cookie, you can probably taste the flavor already.

When asked if it would be possible to replicate a Girl Scout cookie recipe, our expert replied, “I think it would be impossible to replicate the actual cookie. We have a rough idea of the ingredients, but we don’t know the recipe.

Another reason it can be difficult to achieve this exact flavor when making fresh cookies is that Girl Scout cookies need to be shelf stable so they can last a long time. This means there is a lot of wax mixed into the chocolate, as a higher wax content facilitates a longer shelf life.

How to Get the “Look” of a Girl Scout Cookie

Just because you can’t get the exact recipe for Girl Scout cookies doesn’t mean you can’t get a very close approximation in both look and taste. Here are a few ways to do it.

Chocolate cookies

To make chocolate-covered cookies, like thin mints, tagalongs, etc., our expert said you can use any type of chocolate except traditional Nestlé chips because “these contain special chemicals that allow them to hold their shape in chocolate chip cookies. So get something a little better – whatever is available from the store in bars. Melt the chocolate, tilt the cup on the side and use a fork to completely dip the cookie.

Andrea suggested scraping off the bottom layer of chocolate and placing the cookies on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. “Don’t make your cookies have ‘feet’ – that means there’s so much chocolate on it that when you put it on the parchment paper it drips and puffs up once it’s firmed up. Put the cookies in the fridge and let them sit for maybe 10 minutes, not overnight, as the cookies will absorb moisture from the fridge and they will get soggy. Pop them out and voila, you have perfectly dipped cookies.

Caramel cookies

To achieve the delicious Caramel Flaky Coconut found on Caramel deLites (also known as Samoas), after baking your cookies, use a pastry brush “to paint chocolate onto your cookie, then turn your biscuit over and dip it in the coconut”.

Lemon Iced Cookies

Replicating the lemon frosting found on lemonade cookies is pretty simple. According to our expert, all you need to do is prepare a lemon glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Creative Ways to Use Crushed Girl Scout Cookies

Use crushed lemon shortbread cookies to make a killer pie crust.
Crush Girl Scout cookies and add a little frosting to make cake pops.
Use crushed Girl Scout cookies to decorate cakes.
Girl Scout Crushed Cookies make a more interesting ingredient. “For example, if you’re making chocolate truffles, a really easy way to do the outside is to roll them in cocoa. Imagine rolling them or dipping them in crushed Girl Scout cookies.

Mint Thin Cake Recipe and Baking Tips

A Thin Mint Cake is everything you love about Thin Mints, just in cake form. According to Andrea, this cake is a “peppermint cloud, almost like a breath of mint, without overpowering the chocolate.” It takes advantage of the defining trait that makes the favorite Girl Scout cookie so special: there’s mint and there’s chocolate, but there’s no spiciness. This would be the perfect birthday cake for a chocolate lover or an impressive treat for a special occasion.

Mint fine cake recipe

Chocolate cake:

Yield: one 6-inch round.

1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 ounces dark cocoa onyx

6 ounces of boiling water

2 large eggs (room temperature)

1 1/2 ounces sour cream

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces cake flour

8 1/2 ounces of sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt

4 ounces butter, room temperature

4 ounces vegetable oil

Whisk boiling water with chips and cocoa until no lumps appear and place on a table to cool.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sour cream and vanilla.
In a mixer, gently whisk the flour, sugar, soda and salt to combine.
Add the butter and oil and stir over low heat to combine, then stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Scrape the entire bowl.
Add egg mixture and beat over medium heat for 1 1/2 minutes until lighter in color and well incorporated. Scrape well.
With mixer on low, gradually add chocolate mixture. Scrape, then after adding everything, beat the mixture over medium heat for 30 seconds. Scrape and blend the last edges by hand. Fill the molds and bake.

Peppermint Buttercream:

Makes 6 cups. Half a recipe is enough to fill a 6-inch four-layer round.

5 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 pound (4 sticks) butter (room temperature)

1 tablespoon peppermint extract

Green food coloring for a pale green color

Whisk the whites and sugar together over a pan of hot water (bain-marie) until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the hot mixture into the mixing bowl and whisk over high heat until cool (about 7 minutes).
Take chunks of butter and slowly crumble into the whipping sugar/egg white mixture. Watch out for your fingers and long hair!
Turn off the whisk and insert the paddle, then gently stir in the extract and coloring until incorporated.

Decoration items:

Tiny Reese’s Mugs
chopped nuts
edible flowers
Pirouette cookies
Chocolate shavings (Grate a bar of Ghirardelli chocolate with a carrot peeler)
sugar pearls

Mint Thin Cake Baking Tips

Use a special type of cocoa called Black Onyx. “It’s incredibly dark and makes the crumb of the cake the color of an Oreo.”
Use peppermint, not spearmint. You might not think much of it when you take a breath mint, but when making this cake, using the right flavor extract is crucial.
“Take it easy when adding the extract. Peppermint can be overwhelming.
Adding a dropper of green food coloring creates expectations: people will see the color and think, “Oh, that’s probably mint or pistachio.”
Put some extra peppermint around the edge of the breadcrumb layer to add more flavor.
When decorating, our expert suggests that you let your muse guide you. “I like to pile things on top of the cake. So, there are Girl Scout cookies, and there are chocolate shavings, and then maybe raspberries and flowers stuck in there. I’m going to make drops on the side of vanilla or more chocolate or caramel. It looks amazing.

Essential kitchen tools for baking

OXO Good Grips 1 1/2 inch Natural Pastry Brush

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Ozeri Pro Digital Food Scale

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Wilton Cake Decorating Icing Spatula Set

This set of three spatulas includes two offset spatulas (9 and 13 inches) for easy frosting the top of a cake and a straight spatula (11 inches) for those who prefer it for the sides. All spatulas have an ergonomic grip and are top rack dishwasher safe.

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Amco Professional Performance Measuring Cups and Spoons

You will find everything you need in this complete measuring set. There are four measuring cups and four measuring spoons. Each is made of thick, rust-resistant stainless steel.

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Classic Kitchen Wire Whisk Set

The three whisks in this set have a balloon shape with crisscrossing wires to evenly distribute dry ingredients. They are made of stainless steel for easy cleaning and have a hook for hanging.

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OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Scraper

This bench scraper is ideal for scraping, chopping, cutting and more. The stainless steel blade has quarter-inch marks for easy measuring, while the soft, non-slip handle provides a comfortable grip.

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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their buying decisions, saving them time and money.