Girl Scout cookies made more decadent

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 28, 2001

Put away your diet and get out your checkbook. It's Girl Scout cookie time, which you already know because you've seen scouts camped out in front of your local grocery story.

This year's cookie drive began Feb. 25 and continues through March 18. The Girl Scouts have been selling cookies since the 1920s, when they baked sugar cookies at home with their mothers, packed them in wax paper, sealed the bags with stickers and sold them for 25 to 30 cents a dozen to raise money for their troops.

Today, you can choose from the different varieties made by three licensed national bakers and they cost you $3 a box. If you haven't been approached by a scout bearing boxes, call (800) 881-4475 to find out where you can buy them.

If it's not enough to eat Trefoils and Samoas plain, here are ways to make them, and other Girl Scout cookie varieties, more decadent.

Lemon Cheesecake with Shortbread Cookie Crust

For shortbread crust:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup finely ground Trefoil (shortbread) cookies

For cheesecake:

2 pounds cream cheese

1 cup mascarpone cheese (see note)

11/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

21/2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

To make the crust, use an electric mixer and cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed for 3/4 minutes. Add flour and ground Trefoils to the mixture and blend for 3/4 seconds until fully incorporated. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely.

To make cheesecake filling, use an electric mixer and beat the cream cheese until light and smooth. Add the mascarpone cheese and sugar and continue to beat on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time. Blend in the lemon zest and juice. Pour mixture into the cooled crust.

Set the cheesecake pan into a roasting pan and add enough water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until the cake is set and the top is golden brown. Remove the cake from the roasting pan and place on a wire rack. Allow cake to cool slightly, then place the cake in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Makes one 9-inch cheesecake.

Note: Mascarpone is a rich, triple-cream Italian cheese often eaten mixed with fruit. It can be purchased at some Italian markets and gourmet food shops. If you cannot find, substitute an equal amount of cream cheese.

Source: Girl Scout Camp, http://www.epicurious.com.

Sweet Mascarpone Mousse With Do-Si-Dos

2 cups mascarpone cheese (see note)

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

12 Girl Scout Do-Si-Dos Peanut Butter Creme Cookies (about half of a 9-ounce box), quartered

8 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon Frangelico liqueur

12 strawberries

1/2 cup whipping cream, for garnish

Using a wooden spoon, beat mascarpone cheese in a large mixing bowl until very smooth. In top of a double boiler over simmering water, whisk egg yolks and sugar until they reach 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Stir egg mixture into cheese, mixing well. Chill mixture 1 hour.

Place 12 cookie quarters in the bottom of each of 4 dessert glasses. Pour 2 teaspoons Frangelico over the cookies in each dish. Add 2 sliced strawberries to each glass. Pour mascarpone mixture into glasses. Chill 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream until soft peaks form, add 1 tablespoon Frangelico and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Garnish each glass with whipped cream and a whole strawberry; serve. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Mascarpone is a rich, triple-cream Italian cheese often eaten mixed with fruit. It can be purchased at some Italian markets and gourmet food shops. If you cannot find, substitute an equal amount of cream cheese.

Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Aloha Chip Ice Cream Torte with a Tag-Along Crust

For crust:

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 7-ounce box Girl Scout Tagalong chocolate coated peanut butter patties, crumbled

For Aloha Chip Ice Cream:

1/2 gallon good quality praline or butter pecan ice cream, softened

2 7-ounce boxes Girl Scout Aloha Chips with macadamia nuts, crumbled

For Cappuccino Topping:

1/2 cup prepared espresso

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup chilled heavy cream, whipped

6 tablespoons quality caramel sauce

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped, for garnish

10-14 whole strawberries, for garnish

To make crust, place butter and cookies in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Using on/off pulses, process until mixture forms crumbs. Pack cookie mixture in bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Meanwhile, stir ice cream with cookies until combined. Pack softened ice cream into crust and freeze until hardened.

Bring espresso and sugar to boil over medium-high heat and let cook 10 minutes or until syrupy. Let cool. Whip cream to soft peaks. Slowly pour in espresso syrup while beating whipped cream to stiff peaks. Spread a layer of caramel over the torte. Remove side of pan, then cover top and side of torte with whipped cream. Garnish with chopped nuts and whole berries. Makes 10-12 servings.

Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

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