This cookie recipe is delightful, scout’s honor!

No one, not even those of us who are watching our waistlines, should be deprived of Girl Scout Cookies.

I tried this Tagalong recipe in hopes of creating a slightly healthier version of the the classic treat. They are INCREDIBLE. Best of all, the home-made version, unlike the out-of-the-box variety, are available year round!

Homemade “Tagalongs”

For the Cookie Crust:

1 cup butter, soft

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix in dry ingredients at low speed, then stir in the vanilla and milk. The dough should form into a soft ball.
Scoop and then flatten a tablespoon of dough into a 1/4-inch thick disc. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue with remaining dough. The cookies can be fairly close together because this dough does not spread as much as traditional cookie dough.

Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.
Remove cookies from the oven and IMMEDIATELY use your thumb or a small spoon to make a indention in the center of each cookie.
Cool for several minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cook completely.

For the Peanut Butter Filling and Chocolate Coating:

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (natural or regular)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar generous pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
about 8-oz semisweet chocolate

(When using conventional peanut butter, which can be a bit sweeter, feel free to reduce sugar. Taste the filling before using to make sure you are happy with the flavor!)

Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla. Heat mixture in microwave in short intervals, stirring frequently, until it is extremely soft. Carefully (mixture will be HOT!) transfer to a pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip cut off. Squeeze a generous amount of filling into indentation of each cookie. Chill filled cookies for 20-30 minutes, or until firm.
In a heat-resistant bowl, melt the chocolate either in the microwave (again, with frequent stirring) or on a double boiler; the bowl of chocolate should ultimately be placed above a pan of hot, but not boiling, water in a heat resistant bowl to retain its fluidity.

Dip cookies into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off, then place on parchment paper to allow cookies to set. You can speed up the setting process by refrigerating the cookies once they have been coated.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Don’t be surprised if your neighbors ask you to deliver these door-to-door!