Tagalong Cookies Recipe
Intro: Tagalong Cookies Recipe
Tagalongs (or Peanut Butter Patties as I knew them in my Girl Scout days) were always my favorite. There's just something about peanut butter and chocolate that only a cookie can make better. Or ice cream. Wait, that gives me an idea. . . .
What was I saying? Right! Girl Scout Cookies are awesome. But it's not always GSC season! (see what I did there?) So now you can make your own, at home, any time of year. And since it uses the same recipe base as Trefoils and Samoas, you can turn your kitchen into a cottage industry of cookie goodness!
What was I saying? Right! Girl Scout Cookies are awesome. But it's not always GSC season! (see what I did there?) So now you can make your own, at home, any time of year. And since it uses the same recipe base as Trefoils and Samoas, you can turn your kitchen into a cottage industry of cookie goodness!
STEP 1: Ingredients
First, you'll need the basic shortbread recipe, which you can find here.
Just to have it handy, here's a repeat of those ingredients:
Just to have it handy, here's a repeat of those ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
- 115g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 250g (2 cups) all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (peanut allergies? try almond butter!)
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8-oz milk chocolate - you may notice my picture includes semi-sweet. Mistake! In fact, for an even more copycat type chocolate coating, use this one.
STEP 2: D'ough
Prepare the dough as according to the shortbread recipe. Use a round cutter to cut the shapes.
Bake your batches of cookies one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet 180 degrees, halfway through baking. This ensures that all the cookies turn the same color instead of getting browner in the hotter parts of your oven.
Using a spoon, scoop, or your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. This is your well for peanut butter filling goodness. Do it before they cool!
Bake your batches of cookies one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet 180 degrees, halfway through baking. This ensures that all the cookies turn the same color instead of getting browner in the hotter parts of your oven.
Using a spoon, scoop, or your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. This is your well for peanut butter filling goodness. Do it before they cool!
STEP 3: Filling
In a microwavable bowl, sift the powdered sugar into the peanut butter and mix well.
Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until very melty.
Stir in vanilla.
Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until very melty.
Stir in vanilla.
STEP 4: Top Them Cookies
With a spoon, piping bag, or plastic bag with the corner cut off, pile your filling onto your cookies.
As you might deduce, I used a piping bag with a star tip. It was the only one I had, and it made me sad because they looked so weird.
But then the peanut butter filling held its shape after being coated in chocolate, and I decided to embrace and appreciate the weirdness.
Sadly, before I opened my heart to the differently-shaped tagalong toppings, I squished out their uniqueness from most of the cookies before dipping. Next time I will leave it in.
As you might deduce, I used a piping bag with a star tip. It was the only one I had, and it made me sad because they looked so weird.
But then the peanut butter filling held its shape after being coated in chocolate, and I decided to embrace and appreciate the weirdness.
Sadly, before I opened my heart to the differently-shaped tagalong toppings, I squished out their uniqueness from most of the cookies before dipping. Next time I will leave it in.
STEP 5: Dip
The final step to these tiny masterpieces is the chocolate coating.
Melt your chocolate with tiny zaps in the microwave (you know how by now, yeah? - 30 second intervals, stir frequently, etc etc).
Since we'll be constantly lowering the temp of the chocolate each time we dip a cookie, you may prefer to use the double-boiler method. Otherwise, keep your bowl in another bowl with a bit of hot water in it, and be prepared to re-zap the chocolate in the microwave whenever it gets too firm to work with.
Just remember - the less you heat your chocolate, the better. (that's not a technical measure or anything, just a good thing to keep in mind)
Dip your cookies in the chocolate with a fork, give that fork some healthy taps on the side of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate, and place cookies on waxed paper to cool.
Enjoy!
Melt your chocolate with tiny zaps in the microwave (you know how by now, yeah? - 30 second intervals, stir frequently, etc etc).
Since we'll be constantly lowering the temp of the chocolate each time we dip a cookie, you may prefer to use the double-boiler method. Otherwise, keep your bowl in another bowl with a bit of hot water in it, and be prepared to re-zap the chocolate in the microwave whenever it gets too firm to work with.
Just remember - the less you heat your chocolate, the better. (that's not a technical measure or anything, just a good thing to keep in mind)
Dip your cookies in the chocolate with a fork, give that fork some healthy taps on the side of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate, and place cookies on waxed paper to cool.
Enjoy!
30 Comments
Mayuri-sama 8 years ago
I want to try them all
I'm from Asia. And I think they only sell those in America-
thanks btw ~
BetsyFartBlossom 9 years ago
I was going to try and make these right now because I have about an hour or so free time, but now I can't:( I have to clean the drool off of my 'puter! But, I'll try them real soon!
designgrrl 13 years ago
bobby.d.79 9 years ago
designgrrl,
Sorry your incorrect the Girl Scout Tagalongs DO contain milk ingredients, at the bottom of the ingredients list shown in the image below
prickly vegan 13 years ago
Happy baking!
And thanks for posting all of these evil cookie recipes, Scoochmaroo! you're keeping at least one little vegan baker busy.... :)
scoochmaroo 13 years ago
thehbird 10 years ago
looks good! I have a sister in girl scouts but these are great when its not cookie season.
SlashmasterAeoniX 12 years ago
darthpotato1 12 years ago
brooklynbrownie 13 years ago
imthemomthatswhy 13 years ago
Foaly7 13 years ago
SageMinto 13 years ago
The GSC stopped selling them here in Massachusetts! Now I have the recipe to make them myself. MUAHAHA! >:D
Thank you for posting it.
peacenique 13 years ago
Can you make those?
scoochmaroo 13 years ago
peacenique 13 years ago
Thank you!
inkette 13 years ago
Before adding the peanut butter filling to the cookie....Coat the bottoms first and set on wax paper until the chocolate hardens. Then place the coated-bottom cookies on a wire cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Next, add the peanut butter filling to the cookies. Slowly, pour melted chocolate over the top of the filling and cookie. The excess chocolate will drip over the sides of the cookies onto the cookie sheet. You'll then be able to remelt and reuse the excess chocolate for other things.
~
PuzzleJenn 13 years ago
scoochmaroo 13 years ago
karlpinturr 13 years ago