Monday, February 7, 2011

Girl Scout Cookies: Tagalongs Edition

It's girl scout cookie season and I can't wait to start seeing the little girls in front of supermarkets. I used to be a girl scout and remember selling them with my troop and dressing up in a giant cookie box.


I've already ordered my cookies but since I probably won't be receiving them for at least a few weeks I figured why not try and make my own? I've never thought to do that more and now when I'm craving some in 6 months I can just make my own!



These cookies are actually really simple to make, they just take a little time because you need to wait for the filing to set, and then the chocolate coating to set. I used a semi-sweet chocolate instead of the traditional milk chocolate to have a little balance between the sweet creamy peanut butter filling and the slightly bitter semi-sweet chocolate.
Experimented with white chocolate on a few, yum!


I'm going to dedicate the next few posts to recreating as many girl scout cookie recipes as I can. Next on my list, thin mints!


Tagalongs
(recipe adapted from here)


- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter [*I like skippy naturals]
- 1/2 tsp salt [for peanut butter filling]
- 1/2 tsp vanilla [for filling]
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 12 oz chocolate, semi sweet or milk

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Start by making the dough. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the mixer and mix on low speed. Add the vanilla and milk to bring it all together and mix on low speed until just incorporated.


Using a silpat [or parchment paper], make tablespoonful balls of dough and then press them out into disks about 1/4 inch thick.


Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden.


Immediately after removing from the oven, make a small well in the middle of each cookie using a spoon, [*I use a 1/4 tsp spoon, and this dent is where the filling will go later]


Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla.


Microwave the mixture in intervals just until it becomes loose and slightly pourable[ Be careful, it will get hot]

Place a small heaping spoonful of filling onto each cookie. [* I used a piping bag with no tip for better control]


Let the filling cool and set, about 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler and dip each cookie in to completely coat. Place on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and let the chocolate set. [* I put mine in the fridge so they would be ready sooner!]



Enjoy!

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