‘Tis the season – no, not that season. It’s officially Girl Scout Cookie season. Chances are, you’re at least familiar – if not extremely well acquainted – with the cookies sold by the Girl Scouts of America. For many, it’s the highlight of the year. For a college student, though, $4 for a box can be a stretch, which is why, for many years, I have been making my own versions of the classics you know and love.
Thin Mints
Thin Mints are by far the most popular Girl Scout cookie – obviously because they’re the most delicious. If I could marry a food, it would be Thin Mints. They are by far the easiest of the Girl Scout cookies to duplicate in your dorm, since the ingredients are easy to find and they don’t require an oven. Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients:
· 1 box Ritz Crackers
· 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
· 1 teaspoon mint extract
· Paraffin wax (a small chunk, about the size of a quarter)
· Wax paper/parchment paper
Instructions:
· In a double boiler on the stove (or, if you’re me, a ceramic bowl sitting in a slightly larger pot), melt together the chocolate chips and paraffin wax, stirring until smooth.
· Once the chocolate is smooth, add the mint extract.
· Keep the heat on low, and continue to stir throughout process to insure that the chocolate doesn’t burn.
· Carefully dip individual Ritz crackers into the chocolate, laying them on the wax paper to harden. (Note: to speed up the hardening process, stick the cookies in your fridge.)
· Eat all the cookies within 3 days because they’re too delicious to resist.
If you have the time and patience, almost any Girl Scout cookies can be made at home. Keep that in mind next time it’s August and you’re craving some Samoas!