Lemon Meringue Dream Bars

★★★★★

Quick Info:
Difficulty: Medium
Yield: 14-16 bars
Attribution: Halverson's Supper Club

Description: I asked Chef Brandon from Halverson's Supper Club to create this recipe to celebrate my Gold Award Ceremony. He used the Little Brownie Bakers 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts commemorative cookie "Savannah Smiles"!

Ingredients:
For The Crust:
½ pound Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 tsp Vanillat
1 box Savannah Smiles Cookies, crushed
1 box Shortbread Cookies, crushed
For The Filling:
6 large Eggs, room temperature
3 cups Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp Grated Lemon Zest, 4-6 lemons
1 cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 cup Flour
For The Meringue:
8 Egg Whites
1 pinch Cream Of Tartar
4 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350℉.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a ½-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.

Contains: Wheat, milk, flour, soy, lemons

May Contain: Tree nuts, peanuts

Thin Mints on Vanilla Ice Cream

★★★★

Quick Info:
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 1 bowl
Prep Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Attribution: Me

Description: I came up with this technique for topping Vanilla ice cream in seventh grade, when I decided that I was too cool for just plain old vanilla ice cream. Out of all my creative toppings, this one really stuck, and I've been doing ever since. I also like Caramel deLites on my ice cream, but that's a different recipe that I'll add later.

Ingredients:
1 bowl Vanilla Ice Cream
1 sleeve of Thin Mints

Directions: 

Scoop three to five scoops of Vanilla ice cream into a bowl. 

Set aside about one to one and one-half Thin Mint cookies for every scoop of ice cream that you put in your bowl. Next, break one of the Thin Mints in half and turn the two halves of the cookie so that they are perpendicular to each other. 

Then, rub the two edges together so that little mint chocolate sprinkles down over the ice cream. When you've adequately covered your ice cream with the chocolate shavings, crumble the rest of the cookie into the ice cream. Repeat with the rest of the cookies you set aside earlier on the ice cream. 

The finished product can be seen at the right. You can also add other toppings to your liking like chocolate or caramel syrup. 

My friend is enjoying the ice cream at the left.

Contains: Wheat, soy, cocoa, milk, vanilla

Thin Mint Pie

★★★★★

Quick Info:
Yield: 1 pie
Adapted from: Kraft's Triper Layer Cookie Pie

Cookie Type: Thin Mints

Description: My Granny made this pie for Easter and Thanksgiving twice, on the years when I was at my father's house. I was hoping my mom's family would spare just one tiny slice for me--after all I needed to taste it for my project! Not one crumb of the pie was left every time. So, truth is, I have never ever actually tasted this pie. But my family has, and they evidently think it's pretty good. To the right is the sad Easter egg they saved me inside of the empty pie tray at Easter. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 box Thin Mints
3 Tbsp Butter, melted
2 cups Cold Milk
2 packages (4 serving size each) Jell-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding
¼ tsp Peppermint Extract
1 tub (12 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided use

Directions:

Figure 1

Remove 10 Thin Mint cookies and set aside.


Crush or process remaining cookies in box, like Granny is demonstrating to the left in Figure 1.

Figure 2

Then mix them with the butter.

The result should look like  Figure 2.

Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. (Demonstrated by Granny in Figure 3)

Figure 3

Pour milk into large bowl. Add both boxes of pudding mix and beat with wire whisk 2 minutes of until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.)

Spoon out 1 ¼ cup of pudding into another bowl and stir in peppermint extract.

Pour peppermint pudding mixture over

crust.

To remaining pudding mix, add in 1 cup of whipped topping. Spread the pudding/whipped topping layer of the mint layer.

Chop remaining cookies and combine them with about 2 ½ cups (doesn't have to be precise) whipped topping.

Spread this mixture over the top.

Pie might look kind of messy at this point, so clean up the edges. Chill for 4 hours or until set.

To garnish, place remaining whipped topping in a plastic zipper bag. Snip off a corner of the bag (about ½ inch up from corner), and squeeze whipped topping around sides decoratively.

To make thin zig-zags, pour COLD chocolate syrup into a small zipper bag. Snip a very, very, very tiny cut off the bottom corner and drizzle away!

Eat it chilled, or freeze, slice, and serve partially thawed. It's easiest to cut partically frozen.

Contains: Wheat, soy, milk, cocoa

NOTE (11/30/2011): I finally got to try the pie! We had it at Thanksgiving, and it was indeed quite delicious.

Thin Mint Cup Cakes

★★★★

Quick Info:
Yield: 18 cup cakes
Attribution: Gina Krull

Cookie Type: Thin Mints

Description: Gina Krull, local baker of Stoughton, created this delicious cupcake recipe! This is perfect for parties, birthday treats at school, or even just for a good cupcake.

Ingredients:
Cup Cakes
1 package Chocolate Cake Mix
1 box Thin Mints, coarsely chopped
1 tub Chocolate Icing
Peppermint Extract
Icing
1 tub Chocolate Pudding
2-3 tsp Peppermint Extract

Directions:
Cup Cakes:
Preheat oven 340℉.
Prepare cake mix according to package. Coarsely chop ½ to ⅔ box Thin Mints.
Stir into cake batter.
Spoon into 18 cup cakes.
Bake 340℉ for 15-17 minutes. Cool.

Icing:
Stir by hand. Put icing into ziplock bag with a very small corner cut off. Decorate top of cupcakes with icing.
Sprinkle some extra cookie crumbs on top.

Contains: Wheat, soy, milk, cocoa

Thanks-a-lot S'mores

★★★★★

Quick Info:
Difficulty: Very Easy
Yield: 1 s'more
Cuisine: Campfire
Prep Time: about 2 minutes

Cook Time: Personal Preference
Cookie Type: Thanks-a-lots

Description: Great at home, a campfire, or really anywhere! S'mores are an universal camping tradition. These are one of my personal favorite snacks and easier to make than an actual s'more since the chocolate and cookie are already together!

Ingredients:
2 cookies Thanks-A-Lots
1 Marshmallow, toasted

Directions:
Camp Fire:
1. Toast marshmallow to individual's liking (golden brown, burnt, etc.)
2. Place mashmallow in between two Thanks-a-lot cookies
3. Enjoy!

Microwave:
1. Place one Thanks-a-lot cookie upside down on microwavable tray
2. Place one marshmallow on cookie. Then, set the other Thanks-a-lot cookie on top.
3. Microwave for 15 seconds or until marshmallow begins to "inflate"
4. Enjoy.

Contains: Wheat, soy, flour, marshmallow, cocoa

Shortbread Cheesecake Cupcakes

★★★★

Quick Info:
Difficulty: Medium
Yield: 9 cup cakes
Cookie Type: Shortbread
Attribution: Gina Krull, local baker

Ingredients:
Crust
1 sleeve Shortbread Cookies, chopped fine
1 Tbsp Sugar
3-4 Tbsp Melted Margarine
Cup Cakes
1 package No-Bake Cheesecake
Variations
1 Tbsp Caramel Ice Cream Topping
Pecan Pieces
1 Tbsp Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping

Directions:
Crust:
Mix cookies, sugar, and margarine well for crust.

Line 9 cupcakes with papers.
Put 1 spoonful of crust mixture on bottom of cupcake.
Press down with small cup.

Cup Cakes:
Mix 1 package of No-Bake Cheesecake according to package directions.
Scoop equal amounts into each cupcake.

Variations:
Put 1 Tbsp Caramel Ice Cream Topping in bottom, top with pecan pieces
OR put 1 Tbsp Hot Fudge Topping in bottom

Contains: Wheat, soy, milk, flour


May Contain: Peanuts

Variation Contains: Pecans

Peanut Butter Patty, Banana, and Chocolate Pie

Quick Info:
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 12 servings
Attribution: Lauryn Leger
Cookie Type: Peanut Butter Patties

Description: Lauryn Leger entered this recipe in a recipe challenge in a magazine and took first place! Now, you, too, can make a first place-tasting pie. Thanks Lauryn for making such a delicious pie!

Ingredients:
1 sleeve Shortbread Girl Scout Cookeis, crushed
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 small box Banana Instant Pudding
2 ⅔ cups Heavy Cream
2 Medium Sized Bananas, sliced
1 box Peanut Butter Patties Girl Scout Cookies, roughly chopped
1 ½ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine Shortbread cookie crumbs and butter. Mix well, then press firmly into the bottom of pie pan. Bake for about 8 minutes; then cool. Combine pudding mix, 2 c. cream, and peanut butter using hand mixer until completely blended. Place sliced bananas on top of crust in single layer. Top with pudding mixture and then chopped Peanut Butter Patties.

In Saucepan over low heat, completely melt the chocolate and add the remaining cream until the chocolate is smooth and pour-able but not runny. Top each dessert with chocolate sauce. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Top with slice of banana just before serving.

Contains: Wheat, soy, peanuts, milk, bananas, flour, cocoa


May Contain: Coconut