Homemade Thin Mint Cookies

The ultimate Thin Mint style Girl Scout Cookie Recipe.  Tried and tested, this is the ultimate culmination of all the recipes out there for perfect imitation Thin Mints.

Over the summer, my brother and I spent weeks trying out different thin mint recipes and techniques and comparing notes so we could devise the perfect imitation.  Several of the tips and tricks herein are a result of trial and error. We made them from scratch, and from mixes.  Added the mint to the cookie and to the coating.  Rolled the dough into tubes for cutting and rolled it flat to use with cutters.  Froze the dough, refrigerated the dough, ate immediately and stored for days.

I hereby submit to you our final (and I believe perfect) interpretation of the Girl Scout's classic to test and enjoy!

Step 1: Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Wafers

• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package fudge cake mix
• 3 tablespoons shortening, melted
• 1/2 cup cake flour, measured then sifted
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons water
• nonstick cooking spray

Coating

• 3 (12 ounce) bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 6 tablespoons shortening

Comments

[piperjon]

I'm not worthy! I'm not worrrthyyy!!  <bowing, grovelling>

I believe you have broken the code, Scooch.  Once again, you are Ruler of the Roost, and Countess of the Cookie!

Pj

[pjamestx]

We just made our second batch of these. Instead of using the tube/slice method, we rolled them out flat between two pieces of waxed paper (which meant we only needed a couple of minutes to chill them down, since they were so thin). Then we used a cookie cutter and re-rolled and cut the leftover dough a couple of times, until we had made our quote, then made one giant cookie from the scraps (not, uh, not so good, don't do that).

We were able to get the cookies crazy thin by using this method, so we could really control the cookie/chocolate ratio. Give it a try next time!

[scoochmaroo]

Well, I did recently acquire mad knife skills, so I'm pretty good with a chiffonade, but I'll give your method a try!

[jcomtois]

Do you have a version of the "old" thin mints? Those were the same as current GS cookies, but they had a thin layer of mint cream on top of the cookie, under the chocolate coating.

[scoochmaroo]

I don't, but on Sunday or Monday I'll be publishing a mint pattie candy type thing, and the recipe for that would be perfect!

[Wasagi]

Oh man, I have to make a batch of these by the end of the week. But that "Cake flour" is a problem, would normal flour work, or should I scrounge up some corn starch and mix some up myself?

[ctune]

I think I just fell in love with you. *Starts building a golden statue and worships you*

[aglaranna]

Anybody got more tips on making them not melty? I don't like eating the cookies cold...

[quatch]

Sorry for the laaate reply, but:

use less shortening. You only need a little oil to get the chocolate chips to melt, anything more than that helps make it more runny.

[clovisfiesta]

Hello. Try to add a little of parafin. This will up the melt point of chocolate. I hope this help you.

[Ortzinator]

Not much you can do about that I'm afraid. Just make sure you're using chocolate made for baking, it has a higher melting point.

[Daniel Heinrich]

*sigh*

Yet another recipe I really want to try out... it really look delicious.

But ... I don't know where to buy this "package fudge cake mix", nor do I know a recipe to make it myself. So the question remaining would be: Is there someone who could (and would) help me with this part? That really would be appreciated :-)

Well - anyway: Thanks for this nice recipe :-)

Daniel

[fatstrat06]

Daniel,

Really? I'm sorry I'm not trying to be condescending, but you can go buy the devil's food cake mix in almost every grocery store ever! Just head on over to the baking section where the cake mixes and icings are! Hope this helps!

-Patrick

[Daniel Heinrich]

Hi Patrick,

thanks for your reply - unfortunately this "devil's food cake mix" of yours isn't available in my country :-(

Daniel

[Zach4997]

I love you.

[pockypuppy123]

Hi i'm a Girl Scout and I just want too say these probably taste just as good as the real thing, I cant even tell the difference in the looks category!

[cbateman4]

I made these tonight. Soooo good. I will be making them again very soon,

[RummagingAround]

I find it easier to get the dough thinner and more evenly shaped by rolling it into a sheet with a rolling pin before punching out rounds with a biscuit cutter.

Also, make sure the peppermint extract for your chocolate coating is oil based and not water based, or the chocolate will seize and get nasty. I was only able to find water based extract and added it to the dough before baking. This is otherwise a pretty good recipe.

[elenaran]

I'm confused as to what "trial and error" the author actually went through, as this is a word-for-word copy of a thin mint recipe from topsecretrecipes.com

The pictures are helpful though

[rawknexstuff]

Maybe that website got it from here? I don't know, just guessing.

[GrKe]

This was posted 2009, the TSR version was posted 2005.
Unless that chef is packing a TARDIS...

I'm not complaining though, I don't have the means to buy the recipe online from that other place, and even if I could, why bother when there are plenty of free ones elsewhere?

[frostking]

For anyone who made this, has your wafer dough turned out really dry. Somewhat of dusty crumbs. I ended up swapping the shortening amounts in the wafer for the coating to increase its moisture content so that I could actually treat it like a dough. Only difference was I used a Pillsbury brand instead of Duncan Hines.

[snickers123]

YOU HAVE •3 (12 ounce) bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
AND 3/4 TEASPOON OF MINT ARE YOU MEANING 3- 12 OZ BAGS EQUAL TO 36 OZ OR 12OZ ONLY i DID 3/4 TEASPOON OF MINT AND 12 OZ OF CHOCLATE AND IT SEAZED ON ME TWICE. PLEASE EXPLAIN THANK YOU

[rainbowkey]

Try using coconut oil with the chocolate instead of shortening for a less melty coating

[flameproof]

Really nice, but one caveat: please remember to continue to support your local Girl Scouts by purchasing their delicious, one-of-a-kind delectables when cookie selling season comes.  Your support helps to fund Girl Scouting activities and without that support Girl Scouts could not continue to be the positive influence it has been on millions of young girls.

Also: consider shopping elsewhere than This Place.

[ConcernedMushroom]

I would like nothing more than being able to once again support the Girl Scouts by purchasing their cookies every year, however, all of their cookies now contain hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils or interesterrified oils . These oils are otherwise known as trans-fats and are EXTREMELY bad for your long term health. The adverse effects of transfats on your cardiovascular system have been compared to the adverse effects that cigarette smoking has on your respiratory system.
Yes, I have written to the company and told them my family would not purchase their products unless these very harmful chemicals were removed. So far, no change...I check the ingredients list of their cookies almost every year. :(

[spark master]

while I agree , you better not use any mixes cause they all use those bad things and even whipping cream has Mono and Di glycerides added to it, (check it out I was a taken back when I saw the ingredients list go past cream).

[porcupinemamma]

Absolutely! We call "Girl Scouts "in Canada, "Girl Guides". A friend sells them at work and the rest of us buy them by the case and freeze them.  Then...poof!  they are gone. Schoochie's recipe will tide us over until the next sale. P.S. I was a Guide, and  it was a really positive experience for me.  My daughter was ready to get her Gold Star, when we lived in Michigan but we moved back to Canada. Companionship and leadership skills are just two of the benefits of being part of the scouting movement. and...(be still my heart)  Harrison ford was a Boy Scout.

[canida]

Oh, I do.  ;)
Unfortunately they don't sell them year-round, though!  I'm going to use this recipe to fill in the gaps.

[zieak]

I was a little discouraged when i read a note that came with the Girl Scout cookies i bought this year.  It said the troop got 45 cents from each box sold.  At $4 a box, their profit is horrible.  I love the cookies but next year i might just consider a donation of $10.  It would cost me far less money, the troop would get more money, and i would save a few thousand calories from my diet!

[imthemomthatswhy]

There are two manufacturer for all girl scout cookies: Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers. They make NO money off girl scout cookies. These are two major cookie manufactures (under a different name...one is Keebler) so they can afford to not make a profit on us. They only get enough money to cover the production costs (about $.88/box). Our cookies are $4 (prices are set by the council). Of that $4, $.75 goes to the troop, $.15 goes to the individual girl in the form of incentives (my daughter pays her own way to summer camp every summer), $2.22 goes to support the local council (scholarships, financial aid for girls to join scouts, camps, and so on). So while the troop doesn't get that much, the girls benefit from a lot more. Every council sets their own prices and the cookies they choose to sell. They also set how the money is divided. As a troop leader, we are always more than willing to accept your donations, so please feel free to do that. I just didn't want to you think poorly of the cookies. I used to until I became a leader and realized the benefit. Besided the money... the girls benefit greatly to this experience. http://girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/

[zieak]

I should say that I've done my share of door-to-door sales for fund-raisers. I was a Cub Scout and stayed through to become an Eagle Scout and even a Scoutmaster for 3 years. I know the value taught through fundraising. But i think there are a lot more cost effective opportunities available. Especially ones that don't contribute to further obesity.

it is good to know t5hat the manufacturers don't profit from the sales. Councils should be forced to do more fund raising instead of putting it on the girls!

[ElvenChild]

good idea

[electrobrandino]

My wifes method to these would be

1.) Fill out form.
2.) Wait Forever.
3.) Fork out the cash.
4.) Recieve box of slightly melted together cookies (which still taste good! )

I like your method more though :)

[noryette]

This used to be my method, but not after seeing this instructable!

[ElvenChild]

oh yeah I forgot to comment awhile back when I made these they are amazing but be sure to coat the entire thing in chocolate or else it wont taste as good

[axegrrl]

When I was a kid, there was a layer of white minty filling between the cookie and the chocolate coating. My mom said that when she was a kid, the thin mints really were mints -- not cookies at all! Have you ever tried re-creating those?

[Shany120]

YUMMY (nom nom) I wanna make them!!!

[kemper]

I tried the reserving of 1/4 cup of choco chips, and it worked great!

thanks for the advice!

[Carleyy]

om nom nom