Girl Scout cookies aren’t just for nibbling

By Holly Ebel

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

Chefs pride themselves on creating new dishes with unusual ingredients, but a recent Girl Scout fundraising event tested all of their know-how.

The Girl Scout’s Cookie Creations challenge? To use Girl Scout cookies as an ingredient in an appetizer, main dish, drink or dessert.

Some of us might wonder why would you use such long-time favorites as Thin Mints, Samoas, Trefoils or Do-Si-Dos when they are so good straight out of the box.

However, with what these men and women came up with a few weeks ago these cookies have taken on a whole new persona. They aren’t just for nibbling anymore.

Now in its third year, the event, held at the Radisson, was originally meant for them to be used simply as an ingredient in a dessert creation. However Aliza Rongstad, the Girl Scout’s fund development specialist, decided to expand the concept this year.

"I thought it would be more interesting to see how chefs could use them in other ways," she says. "It was amazing — and surprising — to see how creative and what delicious and imaginative dishes they all came up with. We had 19 chefs who contributed 30 different recipes, and for the first time this year, wine distributors paired wines with the cookie dishes."

The 200 attendees were able to taste everything. The most popular cookie used this year was a new one, the Lemon Creme Chalet.

To order the cookbook containing this year’s recipes, call 288-4703. Cost is $20.

Recipes

Here are a few of the winning recipes from the Girl Scout’s Cookie Creations contest.

Thin Bailey’s Mint milk shake

(By Josh Sudmeier, Avocados)

3 Thin Mint cookies

2 scoops ice

2-1/2 banana rum shots

2 white chocolate liqueur shots

2-1/2 Bailey's Irish Creme shots

1 banana

Place all ingredients in a blender and whirl for 30 seconds. Pour into Margarita-style glasses and serve.

Lemon battered shrimp with Beurre Blanc

(By Jason Mills, Metro Downtown Grille)

24-36 large shrimp, peeled and butterflied

1 box Lemon Creme Chalets

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

2 lemons

1 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 bottle Sauvignon Blanc

Garlic cloves minced (cook decides how many - 2-3)

Canola oil

Fresh saffron

Grind cookies into a mixing bowl. Add heavy cream and 2 heaping tablespoons of flour. Mix until it has reached the consistency of pancake batter. Add salt, 1 tablespoon butter and zest from 2 lemons and continue to mix. Pour rest of flour onto a plate. Hold shrimp by tail and dip into batter, placing them onto floured plate. Heat canola oil on medium high and when hot place shrimp in oil until golden brown. To make the Beurre Blanc, combine wine, garlic, juice of 2 lemons and saffron in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and reduce. Add cream and reduce by half. Turn heat to high and whisk in butter, 5 tablespoons total, one tablespoon at a time until butter is well incorporated. Finish with a hand-held mixer. Serve shrimp tail-up on a plate. Drizzle with the sauce.

Greek chicken over rice

(By George Psomas, Mac's Cafe)

1 box Lemon Creme Chalets, separate filling from cookie

4 chicken breasts

Bread crumbs from 5 slices bread

1 tablespoon oregano

Egg wash for chicken - 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 425. Crumble cookies finely, mix with oregano and breadcrumbs. Dip chicken into egg wash, then into crumb mixture. Pan sear lightly, then transfer to oven for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Sauce:

Use cookie filling from 1 1/2 cookies

1 quart heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon each salt and pepper

1 tablespoon fresh garlic

Zest of 1 lemon

2 drops yellow food coloring

Combine above ingredients and reduce for 20 minutes in a saucepan.

Rice:

4 cups cooked rice

1 tablespoon garlic

2-3 tablespoons parsley flakes

1 tablespoon powdered chicken bouillon

1 cup olive oil

Make rice according to package directions. Rinse through a strainer under cold water. In a bowl, mix rice with garlic, parsley, bouillon and oil. Heat and serve under chicken, then put sauce over chicken.