Girl Scout Cookies. What to do with them.

[Island]

OK Mr Island does it again. Comes home from work with boxes of Girls Scout Cookies a coworker was peddling. What can I do with Thin Mints, peanut butter Tag-a-Longs and carmael coconut Samoas other than gobble them? Googled for a good cheesecake, bar or cake recipe, something I could bring to work and share, but didn't find anything.
Any recipes to share? Thanks!

[krsmav]

1. Buy, in pity for the Gril Scoot, who has to bring in money or be shamed.
2. Sniff to notice the overpowering odor of artificial vanilla.
3. Taste the tiniest possible crumb to be overwhelmed by the "flavor" of artificial vanilla.
4. Throw away, OR
4a. Crumble and put out on the sidewalk to poison pigeons.

[mattstolz]

seriouseats has several ideas for "girl scout cookie stuffed cookies"

http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/02/or...

if none of those spark your interest, i will gladly give out my address if i get girl scout cookies in return :)

[Quine]

Wait 4 weeks then have Mr island sorta whisper around work that he still has some. Die hards who ate are own purchase will want them Scalping work.

[rworange]

That's the crassest and funniest thing I've read in a long time ... scalping Girl Scout cookies.

Today, in Antigua, Guatemala we passed by a Girl Scout headquarters. I perked up.

"They have Girl Scouts in Gautemala?

"Yes"

"Do they sell ... cookies?"

"No, not in Guatemala"

Oh the humanity.

[Quine]

Buy ya know it is true. I was working in a large corporation when GS cookies appeared. The buzz around the floor ( OK, very Techie) was huge. Turns out one person sold some for his daughter, thought no big deal and was shy about it. Well, let me tell you THAT day I saw GS cookies scalped. I heard $65 got the last thin mint.

[Island]

Yes I could donate or chow down as is by the box full, and I've done both, but I love to bake and wanted to use them more creatively and you guys really came thru for me.
Bark and truffles and chess bars, oh my!!! Thanks so much for the suggestions and websites; you all uncovered better options than I did.
I'm going to start with some truffle balls, skip the shellacking (good one RWOrange), and move on from there.
Grind and Freeze is also a great idea. We still have a pile of leftover candy from Christmas. Too many treats hanging around from Halloween to Easter so that would be a good way to save them for the summer dry season. Fancy sundaes for all!

[jbsiegel]

I'm a big fan of "Grind Up & Freeze" - I do it with cookies, leftover Halloween candy, leftover Easter candy, etc. Then, you have lots of options:
1. Crumb crust.
2. Make ice cream and mix in during the last five minutes before freezing.
3. Use as ice cream topping.
4. Use in cakes or muffins.
5. Use in brownies / other cookies.
6. Use in pudding or as topping for pudding.
7. Use in some kind of trifle / layered pudding parfait.
8. Dessert pizza topping?

[rworange]

OK, I nominate this as the best website on what to do

50 uses for a Girl Scout cookie
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/feat...

3. Paint with shellac to use as drawer pulls.
15. Use as edible bookmarks.
21. Hold onto a few boxes for the Antiques Roadshow 2099. Don’t break those seals! Mint condition Thin Mints will hold their value, and by then appraisers Leigh and Leslie Keno will both know how to tell a real box of Girl Scout cookies from an overpriced shameful reproduction.

l

[mattstolz]

"use edible bookmarks"

now THERES something that might get kids to read!

[Cherylptw]

Tagalongs are my favorite girl scout cookies...I can eat them by the box (lol)...last time I had them, I made mini ice cream sandwiches and wrapped them individually then took from the freezer as many as I could ration myself daily until they were gone. These are also great made into a bark (freeze any one of these, again, I love the Tagalongs then break them up.

Meanwhile, melt some vanilla bark. Line a baking sheet with parchment or baking paper, spread the melted bark over the paper and scatter the cookie pieces on top, along with some chopped salted peanuts. Press everything into the bark so that the toppings will adhere. Once the bark cools & becomes solid, drizzle some melted caramels over the top and allow them to also solidify. Break the entire thing up into bite sized pieces and enjoy. I'm sure your co-workers will leave not a crumb!

My daugher loves the samoas (she used to sell Girl Scout cookies years ago). I once used them (chopped up) and layered in a trifle along with crumbled coconut cake, chocolate pudding, toasted coconut and caramel.

[monku]

As long as you don't open them, they'll easily last a year.
We have cookies from last year that still taste fine.

[gansu girl]

that's scary from 1) a preservative perspective and 2) shows extraordinary self-restraint! I'm loving these ideas - I live w/a Brownie Girl Scout and we have tons of cookies to eat up (and jeans that I still want to wear!).

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[monku]

Daughter sold GS cookies for 12 years, we've eaten our share.

[hotoynoodle]

ditto the scary. now that they have changed all the recipes, i simply don't care for them anymore. i'd donate them.

[ChiliDude]

Donate them to a homeless shelter.

[GraceW]

Or take them to the fire station!

[ipsedixit]

Or send them to the troops overseas.

[monku]

Called the "gift of caring" program.

Q: Can Girl Scouts donate cookies to military personnel serving overseas?

A: Girls may participate in a council approved "gift of caring" program that allows girls to collect donations of cookies for military personnel serving overseas.

Any gifts in quantity to military overseas should be coordinated through military or related personnel at the place of origin and the place of receipt. Large shipments should have a council agreement with the third party to assure that the cookies arrive where intended. Gifts should not be sent to U.S. bases or bases overseas where there are Girl Scouts (USAGSO) involved in product activity sales. Girl Scouts should observe council jurisdiction when selling or marketing product for a gifting program.

[Cathy]

In San Diego, we've had "Operation Thin Mint" for 9 years.

http://www.sdgirlscouts.org/cookies/o...

I give money, the Girl Scouts coordinate and send.

[Island]

Great project. I'm also in San Diego and we participated at work several years.

[corneygirl]

Compost cookies will take care of some of them.
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2010/02...
And they're awesome!

[GraceW]

What to do: ...mail them to me?

Put them in the freezer! Chances are good you will forget until one day, then you'll find them and it will be a grand surprise. Until that day, they will be rock solid and too hard to eat.

[LauraGrace]

Too hard to eat? No way! Thin Mints should only ever be eaten from the freezer, IMO! :)

[GraceW]

I am impressed! I just get scared that I will break a tooth. Although it could be because the frozen ones I remember as a child were in my parents fridge for a number of years... or because they were caramel delights not Thin Mints.

[LauraGrace]

Oh yeah, caramel gets scary hard in the freezer. Thin mints don't get hard, per se, just crisp.

[mamachef]

Amen, and Amen again Sister LauraGrace! Can we get us a witness?

[rworange]

Try recipes "girl scout cookies"
http://www.google.com/search?q=recipes+%22girl+scout+cookies%22&hl=en&num=100&lr=&ft=i&cr=&safe=images&tbs=

Fried somosas shrimp anyone?
http://www.girlscoutsww.org/cookies/r...

[rworange]

Got called away before I could look at some of the links. This is a revelation.I never considered doing anything with Girl Scout cookies except eat them ... all. The concept of leftovers boggles the mind.. I'm going to have to buy even more next time I see them.

Here's a chocolate chocolate thin mint cheesecake recipe.
http://baking.about.com/od/leftovergscookierecipes/r/cheesecake.htm

I don't know whether to applaud or hiss someone who thought of combining girl scouts and booe

Bourbon Samoa Chess Bars with Toasted Coconut
http://www.kyanags.org/about/cookiere...

That link also has recipes for
- Give Me Samoa Cheesecake
- Mint N’ Mousse (with strawberry puee
)- Tagalong Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce
- Gotta Have Samoa Pie
- Thin Mint White Chocolate Raspberry Trifle
- Tagalong Torte
- Samoa Cheese Cake with Caramel Coconut Topping
- Peppermint Mocha Torte
- Samoas Macaroons
-- Chunky Tagalong Pie
- Girl Scout Cookie Candy
- Samoa Kiss Brownies
- Thin Mint Bark

There are a lot more

[Emme]

if you go the cheesecake route, consider making individual cupcake sized ones, and just put a cookie whole in the bottom to act as the crust, esp with thin mints.

[rworange]

The Girl Scouts of Central Texas seem to have the best organized site with some creatove ideas and they do an individual cream cheese dessert like that
http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=thin_mints

A few of the other thin mint recipes
- Double Layered Mint Chocolate Cake
- Lemonade Cake with Thin Mints
- Triple Chocolate Mint Cake
- Million Dollar Fudge

You can always send your husband out to get more cookies as this site has some creative recipes using some of the other types
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20070220/NEWS/70219013

- Lemon Chicken Casserole with Girl Scouts Lemonade Cookies
- Lemon Drop Martini Cake (with 3/4 cup gin)
- Shortbread coasted chicken with white barbecue sauce

Need to find a girl scount cookie pusher? There's an app for that
http://www.biteclubeats.com/2011/02/g...

[HillJ]

that app is a bit freaky from a safety stand point. sure parents are involved but what einstein created that freakin app. sick.

[Susan627]

Thin Mint Brownies? I think these look good!

http://foodlibrarian.blogspot.com/201...

[brighteyes00]

In high school I worked in an ice cream shop and we made a sundae that tasted just like Girl Scout Thin Mints: mint chip ice cream topped with crumbled oreos covered in hot fudge. I gained ten pounds that year. Crumbled Thin Mints over ice cream with home made hot fudge would be divine.

[greygarious]

Search the "Oreo truffles" posts on this board. Any of these cookies would be good used this way. Crush, blend with cream cheese, dip in melted chocolate.

[MRS]

Fabulous crumbled over ice cream , or used as "mix-in's".

[Jay F]

My girlfriend's mother used to layer chocolate wafers and whipped cream, making something she called "Icebox Cake." I wonder whether whipped cream would get absorbed by thin mints. Maybe if you crumbled them, and assembled it in a springform with some clingfilm?

Also, I made some panna cotta today. My grandmother used to serve that with coconut cookies. Maybe that would work for you.

It seems "creamy" is my answer to "crunchy" today.

[mamachef]

The choco wafer cookie dessert is a great one, but because of the coating on the thin mints, it wouldn't absorb the cream and turn "cakey", unfortunately.

[todao]

Crumble some of them and use as a butter crumb crust with a topping of coconut, condensed milk and perhaps a few chocolate chips. Cut them into squares and take them to work.