Girl Scout Thin Mint Scones

Girl Scout Thin Mint Scones

One of the best times of the year is Girl Scout Cookie Season! And what better way to bake with seasonal ingredients than to use Thin Mint Cookies!!!

I've made these before, but those scones were square and I wanted to tell you about the ease of scooping your scones. Well, there isn't much to tell. It's EASIER. It's FASTER. It's perfect when you are baking at 4 am!


I usually buy 8 boxes of Thin Mints for my "seasonally eating" season!


It's really easy to make scones. One bowl and no mixer. Doesn't get much easier than that!
Cut in the cold butter - you can use a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers. Rough chop a sleeve of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. The packages seem to get smaller and smaller...I think this package has 16 cookies in one sleeve. Add this to the dough and mix to blend. Then you just stir in some heavy cream and mix together, but don't overmix. I use a scooper to make the scones - sometimes I make bigger scones with a bigger scoop, or more scones with a smaller scoop. You may need to press the dough into the scoop so everything holds together.


Brush an egg wash on the scones or you can use some extra heavy cream. I sprinkle some sanding sugar on top, but sugar in the raw or granulated sugar would work too. The "bigger" sugar gives a really nice crunch.

This batch has larger scones and a few smaller scones! Something for everyone!

Recipe: Thin Mint Scones
Adapted from: Cream Scones from the Art and Soul of Baking (page 152). This is a very good book - find it on Amazon or in your library.

Scone Dough:
2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz or 50 grams) granulated sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 stick butter (4 oz) (cold, cut into pieces)
1 cup (8 oz) heavy whipping cream (cold)
1 c chopped Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies (one sleeve of 2016 cookies was 16 cookies)

Topping:
1 egg, lightly beaten OR more heavy whipping cream
2 T sanding sugar or granulated sugar

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees
2. Mix together dry ingredients.
3. Using a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers, cut in the butter. (The book uses a food processor, but I like to make scones by hand...less to clean up!). Add the chopped Thin Mint cookies.
4. Pour in whipping cream. Blend together quickly (I use my hands and/or a spatula). Do not overmix.
5. Scoop scones (or you can form into a circle or square and then cut shapes).
6. Place on parchment or Silpat covered baking sheet. Brush with egg wash or heavy cream. Sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake for 14-16 minutes (depending on your oven and size of scone) until golden brown and delicious.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Brownies

Girl Scout Thin Mint Brownies

NPR has a collection of "Driveway Moments" - those stories so compelling you find yourself sitting in the car to catch the end of the piece. I have often found myself in that situation, along with "Cry on the Freeway Moment" (damn you, Storycorp).

Today, I had a NPR Baking Moment.

All Things Considered had a story about Girl Scout cookies and how you can bake & cook with them. Samoas Fried Shrimp, anyone? See here for the story and taste test. By the way, I have new respect for host Michele Norris because she too hates coconut :)

The Girl Scout website has Thin Mint Brownies, but they use a boxed brownie mix. I made the brownies from scratch and added Girl Scout Thin Mints.

I think it is appropriate to make Brownies with Thin Mints because that was my maximum level of participation. I never made it Girl Scouts...so I'll be a Brownie forever. ;)

I took Everyday Food's (Martha Stewart empire) Chocolate Chip Brownies recipe, deleted the chocolate chips, and added a sleeve of Thin Mints. It is triple chocolate: melted bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder and the Thin Mints!

I purchased these cookies from my college roommate's awesome girls, Lucia and Julia.

Last year, I made Girl Scout Thin Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Post here.

Recipe:
Girl Scout Thin Mint Brownies
Adapted from Everyday Food's Chocolate Chip Brownies recipe

Printable recipe here

1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Scharffenberger Natural cocoa powder)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet chocolate)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 sleeve Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, chopped. (Okay, Thin Mints keep shrinking to keep the price at $4 a box. So, it is 3 1/2 ounces of Thin Mints or 16 cookies)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9 x 9 square pan with parchment paper and butter or spray with Pam with flour (that's my method). In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. Place butter and semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove bowl from heat. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs one at a time, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in chopped Girl Scout Thin Mints. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40-50 minutes. (Be sure to check them early. The recipe says "50-60 minutes" but I checked mine at 50 minutes and they were way done). Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into squares.