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

Step 2: Make Cookie Dough

Combine chocolate wafer ingredients in a bowl until well mixed.  You may need to get your hands in there!

On a surface lightly dusted with flour, shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter.

Step 3: Freeze

Wrap in plastic wrap, waxed paper or parchment and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm and can be sliced into wafers.

Step 4: Bake

Preheat oven to 375F.

Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick - if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp - and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

These cookies are firm and will not spread very much, so you can put them quite close together.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.

Step 5: Prepare Coating

Combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening in a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl.

Heat on 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir gently, then heat for an addition minute.

Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to nuke in 30-second intervals until smooth.

Step 6: Dip

Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate.

Tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so that the excess chocolate runs off, and then place the cookies side-by-side on a wax paper-lined baking sheet.

Refrigerate until firm.

Step 7: Enjoy

These taste best after they've been refrigerated for a day, but of course, I recommend trying some now, and saving some for the next day so you can be properly assured of this.

Store these in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or two.  Or freeze them for up to a month! They're great right out of the freezer too.  But once they're in the open air, they will start to melt, so nom fast!

Comments

[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!

[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!

[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

[knmarvel]

Thank you so much for this recipe! My friends and I make Thin Mints with this recipe every year since 2011. It's super fun and it tastes great. We triple the recipe for 150 cookies and all the people who receive them as gifts are very happy.

(We are still not sure if we use the pictured cake mix (Devil's Food) or the listed mix (chocolate fudge); the pictured mint extract or the listed peppermint extract. It seems to be fine no matter what.)

[BenjaminP26]

Im currently making these as I type this. Sadly I didnt have shortening so I just did the butter counterpart

when making the dough it didnt conform to the logs so im trying a diffrent way

[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

[planetmarly]

That's exactly what I just discovered. The Top Secret Recipes book with this recipe in it was printed in 2003, so readers can decide.

[rawknexstuff]

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

[divdoodle]

What the measurement for the mint if I use peppermint oil instead of extract? And how many servings with this batch make?

[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?

[divdoodle]

Cake flour is different than all purpose... You can buy a small box of cake flour at the baking section of most stores.

[AmbassadorSongbreeze]

Do you really need three bags of chocolate chips for the coating?

[AlexysA]

I cannot morally support the Girl Scouts of America. I was in for most of my school age life, and found they discriminated against one of my leaders for being a lesbian, and against me for being Deaf. I was excluded from a great number if activities in my otherwise all hearing troops due to "Safety Concerns".
So, I think I will make these, because thin mints are good cookies, even if I feel the organization is not. Those and the chocolate covered peanut butter ones.

[gamerguy13]

I've always loves thin mints! Thanks for sharing, will have to try sometime.

[vikkivassar]

Whoever you are, I love you.

[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. :(

[Catley]

It looks like a luscious recipe and I am grateful for it! Nice, clear directions. I love #7, where you suggest trying some right away 'to be sure of the taste'. LOL

But isn't shortening, in fact, also a hydrogenated oil? If I make these, I will use butter or coconut oil instead.