Easy Girl Scout Thin Mints Food

HOMEMADE THIN MINTS

Steps:

• Beat together softened butter, sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until combined and fluffy.
• Sift flour and cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl. Stir in salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until a dough forms, scrape the side of the bowl as necessary while mixing to ensure the flour is mixing well with the butter.
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten it into a disk, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• When the dough is firm but still malleable, take it out of the refrigerator and roll it into ¼" thick on a cocoa dusted surface. Cut with a 2" cookie cutter. Reroll the scraps and keep cutting out cookies until the dough is gone.
• Place the cookies in a container or lined baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes while the oven is preheating.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• When the oven is ready, place cookies on another parchment-lined baking sheet 1" - 2" apart and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 - 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Combine chocolate, coconut oil and peppermint extract in a heatproof bowl, set it over a pot of simmering water, stir until chocolate is melted completely.
• Dip cooled cookies in the melted chocolate using a fork, turn to coat both sides. Tap excess chocolate off and place coated cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow chocolate coating to dry completely at room temperature or refrigerate to speed it up.

THE BEST THIN MINTS (V/GF)

Steps:

• To a food processor add almond flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and pulse to combine.
• Add solid refined coconut oil (place coconut oil in the fridge if it has liquified) to the food processor and pulse until small crumbs are achieved. Add maple syrup and peppermint extract. Pulse until dough starts to form. Form the cookie dough into a disk and wrap in a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (you can use the same paper you used for chilling).
• Lightly dust a separate sheet of parchment paper with tapioca flour. Remove dough from the fridge and place on the flour-dusted parchment. Also lightly flour the top of the dough. Roll the dough out until it is about 1/8-inch thick.
• Using a 1 ½ - 2 inch cookie cutter (or similar-sized object such as a spice jar lid) cut out 14 circles. If you have excess dough, roll it into a ball and reroll/cut out the circles until all of the dough is used.
• Lightly flour a metal spatula with tapioca starch and use it to carefully transfer the cookies to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Space the cookies at least 1-2 inches apart to allow for slight spreading.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly fluffy and expanded and they appear a little dry. Once baked and slightly cooled, remove the cookies from the tray and place them on a cooling rack.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and 2 tsp of coconut oil (amount as recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) in a small saucepan over low heat stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted halfway. Once halfway melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir until completely smooth. Now add in the 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract (amount as recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). NOTE: This can also be done in the microwave in 30-second increments. Stop microwave and stir every 30 seconds.
• Make sure your cookie sheet will fit in the fridge (otherwise, transfer cookies to a large plate lined with parchment paper).
• Once the cookies are cooled, dip each one into the chocolate mixture until fully coated. A fork is helpful for dipping and gently shaking off excess melted chocolate. Then place each cookie back on the parchment-lined cookie sheet (or plate) and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. If there is extra melted chocolate, you can transfer it into mini muffin liners to make mint chocolate cups (or wait until your cookies are cooled and drizzle the extra chocolate over the top).
• Once set, cookies can be enjoyed straight from the refrigerator or at room temperature. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month.

MOCK GIRL SCOUT THIN MINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt chocolate coating.
• I melt mine in a large bowl in the microwave.
• Stir in the peppermint oil and the shortening.
• Dip Ritz crackers in chocolate cover completely.
• Place coated crackerers on waxed paper and let sit until chocolate is hard.
• Store in air tight container.

EASY GIRL SCOUT THIN MINTS

Steps:

• Melt mints and morsels in microwave or double boiler.
• Dip Ritz crackers in chocolate mixture ( I use my little ice tongs to make it easy).
• Place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.
• If you want to decorate cookies with sprinkles, you have to do it before the chocolate dries -- after every 3 or 4 cookies.
• When sheet is full, refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Peel cookies from wax paper (can be used again for next batch).
• Store in tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. They go fast. I've kept them as long as a week if they were well hidden.
• The computer wouldn't let me put it in the list of ingredients, but I use Andes Mint Bits found in the baking aisle.