It's that time of year when we're encouraged to support the worthy organization, The Girl Scouts, by taking part in their annual cookie sale. It seems that this special organization knew what they were doing when they began cookie drives many years ago! There's something very special about these cookies and we're encouraged to stock up on our favorites, since they are only available for a limited time.
You can't miss when it comes to enjoying a Girl Scout cookie (or any cookie, for that matter!) and a glass of cold milk. So in honor of the Girl Scout organization and their supporters, I'm sharing two recipes that use two of their most popular cookies. One uses the Shortbread or Trefoil cookies and the other uses the Samoa or Caramel Delight cookies.. The names of the cookies are named according to the area of the country you live. The first recipe, "Cream Cheese Cupcakes", uses the Shortbread or Trefoil cookies as a "crust" for the cheesecake filling that goes over the top. They can be topped with any flavor of pie filling, such as cherry or blueberry.
The second recipe is called "Yum-Yum Dessert" and it uses the Samoas or the Caramel Delight cookies. This is basically a banana pudding with the cookies acting as the traditional vanilla wafers that we use in this dessert. It's conveniently made with a vanilla pudding mix, so there's no guesswork involved as to getting the custard of the pudding just right. The cookies with their characteristic flavor combination goes well with the vanilla pudding and bananas.
The Girl Scouts has a rich and interesting history and are always coming up with new and innovative activities to better our world. Here's a link to where you can find out about a project being done by a New York Girl Scout group in preparing for a national emergency that uses their cookies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OCyQ_rTUeo
So, see a Girl Scout in your area to get the cookies to make these special desserts....they'll thank you and so will your sweet tooth!
CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES
- Girl Scout Trefoil or Shortbread cookies
- paper baking cups
- 2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fruit-based pie filling, such as cherry or blueberry
Place baking cups in muffin cups and place a cookie in each prepared cup. Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth and well-mixed. Fill the baking cups about 3/4 the way full. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. (While baking, the cupcakes will "drop" down into the cups, allowing room for the the pie filling.) Cool and top with pie filling. These may be frozen after baking.
YUM-YUM DESSERT
- 1 pkg. (3-3/4 oz) vanilla pudding mix (not instant)
- 3 cups milk
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1 pkg. Girl Scout Samoa or Caramel Delights cookies
- 3 large bananas, sliced
Cook pudding mix, milk and egg yolks over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with 1/2 of the cookie pieces. Placed sliced bananas over cookies. Pour 1/2 of the prepared pudding over top. Repeat with the other half of the cookies, bananas and pudding. Beat the egg whites, gradually adding 2 tablespoons of sugar, until stiff. Spread egg whites over pudding. Bake at 425 degrees until top browns, about 3-5 minutes.
Comments