Homemade Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

These cookies are my most requested birthday treat! They are so incredibly good. They are hard to resist, so it’s good that they are kept in the freezer…out-of-sight slightly helps me to keep them out of my mind that they are in the house!

I created this recipe when my son, Taylor, was experiencing food sensitivities. And boy am I glad I did! This recipe is made without egg or soy. You could totally make them with both, but my recipe is without. They are a bit time-consuming, but TOTALLY worth it!

Ingredients for Wafers:

2 C Sugar

2 C flour

3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 TBSP ground flaxseed + 2 TBSP water–let stand 2-4 minutes to thicken OR 1 egg

4 TBSP butter, melted OR 4 TBSP shortening, melted- this gives you a crispier wafer

2/3- 3/4 C water, divided–you carefully add water just until the dough comes together

Coating ingredients for Wafers:

3- 3 1/2 (12 oz) bags of Guittard milk chocolate chips–seriously the ONLY kind I’ll use

4 TBSP butter, cut into chunks —here is where shortening(soy) would help if you use that–it makes coating the cookies much quicker and easier, but we still do the butter anyway.

3/4 tsp McCormick PEPPERMINT extract

Directions to make Wafer:

Place dry ingredients in bosch mixer(this is what I have so it might be slightly different with another mixer). Pulse several times to mix well.

Add the flaxseed/water combo, melted butter, and 1/2 cup of the water.  Turn bosch mixer on speed one.  While it is mixing slowly add only enough water to form the dough!  You may need more or less.  I always pause once in the middle of adding the water to scrape down the center and sides.  You don’t want to add too much water.  You will know when you’ve added enough because the dough comes together and scrapes the sides of the Bosch bowl clean.

Place dough into a bowl, cover it and place in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets with butter.  Grease really well! Set aside.

Then roll out dough onto parchment paper that has been lightly floured. Roll out dough and cut circles out using a 1 1/2-2″ circle cookie cutter or biscuit cutter.

 Place circles on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes(I cook two sheets at once and switch their place in the oven at 5 minutes).

Let cool on sheet for 2-5 minutes( I usually do at least 4-5 minutes).  Then cool on wire racks. When all dough has been baked, wash and dry the cookie sheets.  Then line with parchment paper.

Directions to make the Coating:

In a large microwave safe bowl, warm the chocolate chips for 2 minutes in the microwave. Stir really well.

Add chunks of butter and peppermint extract and microwave for 30-45 more seconds. This can get somewhat thick, so using a knife to stir seems to help.

**Be careful to NOT over microwave your chocolate.:) Burnt chocolate chips is a terrible smell.

Using a knife, spread the coating on both sides of the cookie.  These cookies are soft, so this is a bit of a careful undertaking.  I frost the bottom of the cookie first, then place it on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Then put some of the coating on the top and sides and spread around until the cookie is covered. This is messy, but OH SO WORTH IT!  When you have filled your cookie sheet, place cookies in freezer for 10-15 minutes. When the coating is solid, take off cookie sheet and put them in a freezer safe bag or well sealed container.

If the coating cools to much, place back in microwave for 10 seconds and stir again. I usually warm it back up in between switching a done cookie sheet out for a new one in the freezer.

If you don’t have time to do both sides of the cookie, just frost the top.  They are still good! 

Store them in the freezer! Then just let them sit a few minutes before eating–if you can handle it! Or pop them in the microwave for just a few seconds.

This recipe makes just enough coating, so if you discover that you’ve been putting too much coating on and are running low, then switch to only frosting the top or make another small batch of the coating-I do this sometimes when I haven’t gauged correctly. This recipe makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Then comes the hard part…summoning the will power to not eat them all before your family gets home!  I always, always eat one, OR maybe two, before they come home…They never know!  Well, now they might.  Before serving, take out of the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Life is better with chocolate…especially these cookies.

**Now if you CAN eat eggs and soy, then it does make a much easier for the coating part to use shortening.  I still prefer to use flaxseed instead of eggs in the wafer, but you would use 1 egg instead of ground flaxseed. I recommend using shortening instead of butter too with eggs for the wafer. This does make the wafers crispier too. The coating is smoother with shortening- so you could actually dip your cookie in the coating instead of spreading it on with a knife. I still do egg and soy free, but it’s more work. 😊

**If you only have time to frost the top, use the extra frosting later to dip pretzels in.  It’s SO GOOD!

And as always, Today there is a reason to hope! Especially if you are making these!