Top Secret Version of Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

Our son decided he wanted to make cookies, as he often does.  He was tired of the regular fare so he got out some of our cookbooks.  In the cookbook his gymnastics team compiled for a fundraiser he found:

Top Secret Version of 

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

He took a sample over to our local Girl Scout Leader and "L" wrote:
"I just wanted to thank you for the amazing thin mints!  They tasted even better than the real thing!  I'd love the recipe if you have a chance to send it to me.  Thanks again for bringing us a sample."
So here is the home-made recipe for Thin Mints! 


Cookie:
1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. chocolate fudge cake mix
3 T shortening, melted
1/2 c. cake flour, measured, then sifted
1 egg
3 Tbsp. water
non-stick cooking spray

Coating:
3 (12 oz.) bags or 6 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (We may use 1/3 milk chocolate next time.)
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract (or more to your taste)
6 T shortening

Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time until the dough forms.  Cover and chill for 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 350∘.  On a lightly floured surface roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick.  To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2 inch diameter (schilling brand is good).  Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating of non-stick spray.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove wafers from the oven and cool completely.

Combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening in a large microwave-safe glass bowl.  Heat on 50% for 2 minutes, stir gently and heat an additional minute.  Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 15 second intervals until smooth.  Each microwave is different so err on the side of less and just stop and stir.  I chose the safe route my friend "S" use to microwave on full  power in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted.


Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so the excess chocolate runs off, and then place the cookies side-by-side on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet or my friend "C" uses a chilled cookie sheet when working with dipped chocolate.  Refrigerate until firm.  Makes 108 cookies.

Somehow we missed the visit from our local Girl Scouts selling Thin Mints, but we still got a taste of them this year and they are great!  Now our son wants to know if any of you have a recipe for Samoas.  

Potato Knot Rolls

I had a request today for the recipe to Potato Knot Rolls.  During Thanksgiving they go especially well with cran-raspberry butter.  This is Jill's recipe and they are so yummy.

3 cups milk, scalded
1 stick butter
1 c potato flakes
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c crisco
1 T salt
1 1/2 T yeast
1/4 c warm water
pinch of sugar
4 beaten eggs
8 cups flour

Microwave milk for 5-7 minutes on high to scald.  Add to hot milk, the butter, potato flakes, sugar, crisco and salt.  Let cool slightly.  Put yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar and let work for 5 minutes.  When milk texture is cooled down a little, add; yeast, eggs, and half the flour.  Beat well.  Add remaining flour and knead until smooth but slightly sticky.  let rise for 1 hour.  Shape into rolls, raise 1 more hour.  Bake 375 for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Knotting the rolls: Roll out half the dough into a rectangle.  I try to get about a size 14x6.  Brush the top with softened or melted butter, making sure to stay within one or two inches from the sides.  Fold in thirds, long ends overlapping in the middle.  Pinch closed all the way around.  Roll out again into a rectangle trying for the same size.  Cut strips of 1 inch with floured hands gently criss cross dough as if you were tying a shoe lace and tuck the end under.

Hot Pockets:  Using the same rectangular shape as above, butter the dough leaving the sides clean.  Cut with pizza cutter 5 inch strips across and then cut those in half.  Fill with cheese and ham.  Fold over the top and seal the edges.  Poke a couple holes for steam to escape.  This is also good with pizza sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni.  Bake until golden brown.

Cinnamon Rolls:  Roll half the dough in rectangle.  Butter staying away from edges.  Sprinkle with your favorite combination of brown sugar or white sugar cinnamon and raisins if you like.  I like ground cardamom sprinkled in mine.  Roll very tightly and pinch closed.  Cut 2-3 inches  and place on grease pan.  Let rise 30-45 minutes and bake 375 11-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Frost with light glaze while still warm.

Jill taught us to use an extra large stainless steel bowl to mix this dough in.  And use a strong whisk to mix in the first 4 cups of flour.  Then use a strong spoon for the next 3 cups and the last cup pour on the counter top and knead in by hand for a few minutes.  Never exceed 8 cups.   The dough may tend to be a bit sticky.

Easy Cranberry Syrup

This morning I made cranberry syrup to go with our whole wheat waffles.  It was delicious and I recommend you try it sometime during this Thanksgiving season.

1 cup dry cranberries (3.5 ounces)
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch (makes a thick, sauce-like syrup.  For a thinner syrup, use 1/2 tablespoon)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, mix the cranberries and hot water.  Cover the bowl and cook at high heat in the microwave for two minutes.  Remove the bowl and let the berries steep for ten minutes.

Use an electric food blender to puree the berry and water mixture.   The mixture should look like a thick juice. 

Place the cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Add two or three tablespoons of the pureed fruit to the pan and stir to make a slurry of the cornstarch.  No lumps should remain.  Add the rest of the fruit mixture, the sugar, and the lemon and stir.

Heat the syrup on a medium setting until the mixture begins to bubble and the syrup thickens, stirring to keep from scorching the liquid.  Remove from the heat and let cool.  The syrup will become thicker as it cools.  This makes about 12 ounces of syrup. 

Next time I will double it and use about 3/4 tablespoon of cornstarch for an in between thickness.

Mad Eye our Manx has Six kittens!

Mad Eye, gave birth to SIX kittens yesterday!

I hadn't been home long from our RS sleepover when I saw our pregnant Mama Cat in my kitchen window as I was washing my hands.  In hindsight I now know she was telling me she wanted inside because a few minutes later my son and a neighbor friend discovered she had given birth to her first two kittens on our grill cover outside!  The young neighbor girl and our exchange student got to see some of the births along with our children.  We hurriedly got her a large plastic tub and towels and gently transferred them inside.  Within an hour she had given birth to SIX.

Three are all white.

Two are calico - ish.

One is gray.

Some have tails and some are MANX.

Half and Half Soccer

Here's our son defending the soccer ball in his first away game yesterday. 

He sets up to clear it out of there with a wide open shot. 

Each half seemed like a different game!

In the first half, the opposing team kept scoring on us and we couldn't seem to actually put it in the goal.  It was as if a magnet was in the net that kept it from entering.  However the second half the other team never scored and our team scored enough times to almost tie it. 

Above he sets up to block a penalty shot headed right towards the goal.  

He's the one near the goalie with his knee up.

Travel soccer is new for us.  With gymnastics, we travel about 5 hours and spend the weekend.  With soccer,  this away game was an hour each way and we stopped to eat afterward which took most of our evening.  Tonight it was just the two of us.  To fit it all in he did homework on the way down.  After we ate, he turned into a bookworm on the way home, this made for too quiet of a traveling companion for me. 

Soccer Stopper

Our daughter surprised us all by taking off her jazz, tap, lyrical and ballet shoes and putting on soccer cleats this season! Today was her first game. She played the stopper position mostly. In the end being stopper stopped her! Here's what happened. She had just made a great kick which sent the soccer ball flying to the other end of the field towards our forwards. Moments later as the others rushed down field she was the only defender left on the other half of the field.  Suddenly 2 opponents charged down the field after their teammate kicked it down field. She was determined to stop them. As she kept herself between them and the goal, one of them tripped over her leg as she reached out for the ball, which sent them both to the ground. She rolled her foot. After a trip to the team's physical therapist and being sent for an x-ray just to make sure it's only a sprain, she is out for at least a week. She hyper extended the ligaments and muscles in the top of her left foot and has an air cast on to protect it from further rolls. It means she's not cutting a rug at the regional dance tonight nor will she play in Monday's game -- much to her chagrin.  Our sons had fun entertaining themselves once their sister was out of the game.  And then guess what?  Moments later the stopper who came back in was also stopped when she fell on her back right on top of the soccer ball. The game was called.

Now you might think the game was called for injuries, but it was called because of thunder and lightning. You might think we lost the game, but we won 5-0! Just as the game was called, we walked from the field to our cars in a downpour. The refs considered calling the game at half time.  If they had called it then, we could have spent this afternoon elsewhere than in the Doctor's office, we would have stayed dry, she could have gone to tonight's dance and finished her homework and she could still be playing in Monday's game.  Que sera sera. . . We wish her a speedy recovery!

Chicken Casserole My Mother Found Because of an Army Connection

Scentsy salutes the military 9/1/10

Here's a recipe my Mother used to make us when we were growing up. It's from my Mother's friend Joyce she met when they were neighbors as young Mother's and when their husbands were in the army together.

It was a favorite of ours growing up and now my children enjoy this simple casserole also. I hope you will too.

Joyce's Chicken Casserole

1 *chicken cut in bite size pieces

1 can campbell's onion soup

2 cup chicken stock

3/4 sq. butter

1 cup rice

Mix all together.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

A 3-1/2-pound whole *chicken will yield about 3 cups of diced cooked chicken.  Generally, 3/4 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts will yield 2 cups of cubed cooked chicken. Allow about 1/4 to 1/3 pound of boneless chicken per serving.