Bruce Girl Scouts
Bruce Girl Scouts are getting ready for “cookie season.” At their last meeting, they made chef hats and posters to promote their cookie sales. Also at the meeting, Troop Leader Trina Griffin had available some recipes using Girl Scout cookies from the website littlebrowniebaker.com
Brownies, Juniors and Cadets all have two cooking badges they can earn. All the girls really enjoy the “cooking meetings” according to Griffin, and are eager to try anything, especially something that “sounds unusual, weird, or gross,” like vinegar candy, puppy chow and Koolaid pickles. Vinegar candy was a favorite of all, she said, adding that it had a good flavor that was not too tart, and was super easy and fun to make. Others include Girl Scout Punch, Ice Cream In A Bag, and Dirt Cups.
Front, Gemi Moore, India Hatchett; standing, Kaitlyn Kincade, Lillian Baker, Alexis Edwards and Myisha Williams.
“They all have a part, and I let them do everything. Our only rule is everyone must taste at least one bite,” said Griffin. They even tasted an avocado facial mask they made for their “Eating For Beauty” badge, and said it was good, too. In working on their “Simple Meals” badge, their concentration was on meal planning, health and nutrition. They learned to make French toast as a breakfast option.
They participated in a Fabric of Hope bake sale by making brownies and puppy chow. For Christmas party meetings they enjoy making things like fruit smoothies, brownies, vegetable pizza, and trail mix. They have also melted chocolate to pour in forms and added in liquid flavorings of their choice.
Third grader Lillian Baker says her favorite Girl Scout cookies are Thin Mints, and she would like to try the Mint Brownie recipe. Chicken salad is her favorite food and agrees that her favorite meetings are the ones at which they cook.
India Hatchett, 5th grader, loves the Savannah Smiles lemon cookies and would like to try the Lemon Blueberry Parfait recipe. She enjoys helping at home to make lasagna and chicken, and brownies have been her favorite thing the Scouts made.
Myisha Williams, also a 5th grader, says Samoas are her favorite and wants to make the trail mix using those cookies. She likes to help her mom bake strawberry or chocolate cake, and chocolate chip cookies.
Gemi Moore always orders the Tag-Along cookies, “and others,” she says. She enjoys helping cook at home, and likes making peanut butter cake. Also a fifth grader, cheese pizza is her favorite food.
Kaitlyn Kincade is a 6th grader and her favorite is Savannah Smiles cookies. She, like India, would like to try the parfait recipe. She makes cupcakes and cooks eggs, and said the vinegar candy “was very good!”
Eighth grader Alexis Edwards says Samoas are her favorite cookie, has made the trail mix, and would like to try the dream cake made with them. She is interested in cooking and helps at home.?Vinegar candy has been her favorite thing made by the scouts. “It looks like yellow glass!” and she also loved the Kool-aid pickles.
Vinegar Candy
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tsp. butter
Candy thermometer
Cook until 275°F on a good candy thermometer, then pour into well-buttered pan. Let cool, and break.
Puppy Chow
1/4 lb. butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 large box Crispix cereal
12 oz. package milk chocolate chips
Melt margarine, peanut butter and chocolate chips in microwave on medium setting two minutes or longer until melted. Stir to blend. Place one large box of Crispix cereal in very large pan and pour chocolate mixture over top. Stir to coat. Place 1 lb. box of powdered sugar in grocery bag. Put coated cereal in bag and shake until powdered sugar is absorbed. Open bag and let it cool. Store in tins.
Mint Brownies
1/2 box crushed Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies
1 box brownie mix
2 eggs (3 eggs for cake-like brownies)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Crush Thin Mints into medium size chunks. Mix all ingredients into mixing bowl. Do not use electric mixer–batter will be stiff. Spread batter evenly in greased baking pan (13x9x2). Bake in center of oven at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.
Samoas Trail Mix
1 box Samoas Girl Scout cookies, chopped
8 oz. dried apples, chopped
8 oz. raisins
8 oz. salted roasted peanuts
8 oz. dried pineapple, chopped
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Spoon into individual sandwich size zip lock bags. Tightly seal each bag. Will maintain freshness for long time if kept tightly sealed. (Optional: dried mango, sunflower seeds, cashew nuts.)
Lemon Blueberry Parfait
1 small pkg. (3.4 or 3.5 oz. instant lemon pudding and pie filling)
1 1/2 cups whipped topping, divided
2 cups cold milk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 pkg. (about 21) Savannah Smiles lemon cookies.
Leave 8-9 whole cookies to decorate with, and crush remaining 12 into cookie crumbs
Prepare lemon pudding as directed:?With a whisk or electric mixer, blend together pudding mix and two cups milk, on low speed about two minutes. Let set five minutes. In separate bowl, stir together with a spoon, one cup pudding and 1/2 cup whipped topping. Using 2-4 clear dessert cups, layer ingredients into each cup: Lemon pudding, cookie crumbs, pudding/whipped topping mixture, blueberries, lemon pudding, cookie crumbs, pudding/whipped topping mixture, blueberries, whipped topping. Top with a blueberry and cookie crumbs. Just before serving, insert 2 or 3 whole cookies near edge. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 2-4 servings depending on size of dessert cup.
Tagalongs Shake
1/2 box of Tagalong Girl Scout cookies
6 cups of vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1 can whipped cream
Mix cookies, ice cream and milk in blender. Blend until desired thickness. Serve in tall milkshake glass and top with whipped cream. Garnish with crumbled cookies. Makes two servings.
