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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Almost Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies


Seeing as how it is not GS cookie season, I think it's okay to put a recipe out there for making a similar cookie without the high cost, while not highjacking any Girl Scout earnings. This cookie is very much like the GS version in flavor and texture, even though the cookie part is not a chocolate wafer but, instead, a lowly ritz-style cracker. 


Only 4 ingredients and no baking, making this a perfect cookie to whip up for a last-minute neighbor gift, potluck offering, or just a nice, sweet treat for your family. 

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
2 dozen ritz-style crackers
2 to 4 drops of peppermint oil (oil and not extract)
table knife
sheet of waxed paper

In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the shortening in short bursts of about 10 to 20 seconds, stirring with a table knife in between the bursts. 

When melted and smooth, stir in about 2-4 drops of the peppermint oil. (I poured a small amount of oil into the cap for the bottle, then dripped it into the chocolate, stirred and tasted until it was as minty as I liked.)

Working quickly, use the table knife to spread melted mint chocolate onto both sides of each cracker, then allow to firm up on a sheet of waxed paper. This is a bit messy, but I found that spreading the crackers with the chocolate resulted in smoother cookies with a more modest coat of chocolate than dipping (meaning the chocolate went further). 

Place in the fridge for an hour to quickly firm up or allow to sit for several hours at room temperature.


These mock GS mint cookies were fairly inexpensive to make. I used crackers from Dollar Tree, chocolate chips bought on the fall and holiday baking sale (WinCo store brand), Walmart shortening and just a couple of drops of peppermint oil. I bought my little vial of peppermint oil at Michael's, using a high-value coupon (I think it was 50% off), spending under $3 for 2 drams (vials) about two years ago. I originally bought the oil for making peppermint-flavored fondant for chocolate mint patties and now have most of the 2 vials leftover. In addition to the mint patties and thin mint cookies, I've also used the peppermint oil for making chocolate mint truffles. 

9 comments:

  1. Great idea! My friend was a GS leader years and years ago and while the cookies are good, the are EXPENSIVE! Plus, the amount the girls make (less than a dollar!) for each box sold leaves me with mixed feelings...I'm going to try making these - I love LOVE!) mint and chocolate.

    Shelby

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  2. Creative idea! I'm thinking you said there isn't Aldi in your area, but we like their thin mint cookies which seem identical to the GS ones, for a fraction of the cost ($1.48 lately). Of course, I can't have any of them these days due to the celiac issue but I occasionally buy a package for my kids' lunches. Probably still not as inexpensive as your homemade version, though.

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  3. Mmm, yummy. I was thinking along the same lines as Cat about the Aldi version, but even if you have an Aldi available, sometimes it's fun to make your own.

    Shelby, while I don't have a girl in Girl Scouts, I have similar thoughts about fund raisers. Why is it that our culture doesn't seem willing to give unless there is something in it for them?? Our kid's bands have occasional fund raisers at restaurants--we have calculated it and if we just donate a dollar amount, the band gets more money from us than they would if we were to order meals at the restaurants AND we save money overall by not purchasing meals (which, frankly, are not at locations where the food is very tasty, anyway, so it isn't like it's a fun evening out for us). Sorry, not trying to bring up a contentious issue--just making an observation. :)

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  4. Hi Shelby,
    that's disappointing that the GS only get $1 per box sold. I think I'd rather donate cash, then, than buy cookies.
    These are delicious. I just now made another small batch! Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Cat,
    Your memory is correct, no Aldi in our area. I'm glad you've got that store in yours. It sounds like they have some remarkable bargains.
    As for cost, these are like any other knock-off, they could be considerably cheaper to make or not, depending on how you buy the supplies. I think it cost me about the same as you pay at Aldi, though. So that's a great resource for this type of treat.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Kris,
    It is fun to make them ourselves. Also, I like that I can make 10 at a time, if that's what I want to have around. But Aldi would also be nice to have.
    I agree with your thoughts on fund-raisers. I mostly prefer to donate the money we would've spent. However, in some instances, I haven't been "allowed" to donate cash,and that's just awful. You want to do something to help, but they only want you to help in their "way."

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  7. Those look yummy! I've made the version where you take two round crackers, spread peanut butter in between, and dip in white or milk chocolate. They are addictive.

    In my area, Walmart and Dollar General sell thin mint like cookies. At both stores, it's $0.98 a package. They are very good.

    Angie

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  8. Hi Angie,
    Those peanut butter-filled cookies sound so delicious!! I think I may make some with white chocolate as part of my family's gifts. I could add some green and red sprinkles to the top of each to make them look festive! Thank you for this idea, Angie!

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  9. As for selling things as fund raisers, I think the concept is that the kids are "working" for their money. There are so many things wrong with the actuality of this. With many things, including GS cookies sometimes, I ask how much they are making per box, and donate that much. It's much cheaper and the organization still gets money.

    ReplyDelete

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