Make new desserts with Thin Mints, Trefoils

THIN MINTS

The sentimental favorite among all Girl Scout Cookie varieties has to be Thin Mints. Originally called Chocolate Mints, they’ve been around since 1951. Their current, svelte name came along in 1966.

Four of these mint-chocolate wafers dipped in rich chocolate contain 160 calories. Watch out — they’re quite addictive!

If you have any left, transform them into rich, creamy truffles:

PEPPERMINT-CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES WITH THIN MINT DUST

Recipe by Connie Post

6 Thin Mints, finely crushed

10 round peppermint candies, finely crushed

2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

12 ounces semisweet dark chocolate

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium-size bowl, mix cookie crumbs, crushed peppermints and pecans; mix well and set aside.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Add sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract and cinnamon. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Add 1/3 cup of dry cookie mixture. Stir well and refrigerate for 2 hours.

After chocolate mixture is chilled, roll into small balls with your hands. Dip the chocolate balls in the remaining dry cookie mixture and refrigerate. Will last up to a week in the fridge.

TREFOILS

Trefoils are buttery shortbread cookies shaped like the Girl Scouts trefoil – the badge with three leaves representing the three-part promise: “To serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout law.” Trefoils joined the cookie line-up in 1979. The least pretentious of all the Girl Scout cookies, Trefoils appeal to those who enjoy simple pleasures.

Eight Trefoils contain 160 calories. If you want to indulge, however, use them to make a richer dessert.

VANILLA BUTTERMILK PUDDING WITH TREFOIL CRUST

Recipe by Connie Post

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

15 Trefoil cookies, finely crushed (1 cup)

large cartoon of Cool Whip

1 large package (5.85 ounces) instant vanilla pudding

3 cups buttermilk

1 6-ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together butter, flour and Trefoil crumbs until the mixture approaches the consistency of coarse cornmeal. Press into an ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Bake until lightly brown, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Mix together vanilla instant pudding and buttermilk. Gently spread across the crust.

Spread Cool Whip on top of pudding. Sprinkle with cherries and refrigerate. To serve, scoop with a large spoon.