Girl Scout Cookies Cupcakes - Samoas, Thin Mints & Tagalongs Cupcakes

Samoas Cupcake (Brown Sugar Butter cupcake filled with Homemade Caramel, glazed with Dark Chocolate Ganache, topped with Toasted Coconut Flakes and Dark Chocolate Stripes), Thin Mints Cupcake (Mint-Chocolate cupcake with Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache) and Tagalong Cupcake (Peanut butter Creme filled Vanilla Cupcake frosted with Peanut butter Creme and frosted with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache)

It's Girl Scout Cookies time of year! It's time to buy your favorite box(es) of cookies from those adorable Girl Scouts posted outside your favorite Supermarket... I can never resist them, like everyone else. I actually freeze them, meaning the cookies, not the Girl Scouts, LOL!, for when I need a little pick me up. My favorites (and so with all of America) are Samoas, Thin Mints and Tagalongs, in that order.

I salute the Girl Scouts. Once upon a time, I was one. I've learned some really valuable life skills by being one -- frying an egg in a brown bag, tie-dying a shirt, doing different knots and building a bonfire, he-he. Kidding aside, scouting promotes camaraderie among young girls and creates awareness on relevant global issues that inspire them to take action. Thus, I dedicate this blog to them-- this one's for the GIRLS(couts)!



Samoas (Caramel De Lites) Cupcakes
(adopted from Cheryl of Cupcake Bakeshop)
12 c-cakes/350 degrees/22 mins

Brown Sugar Butter Cupcakes
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 L eggs, room temperature
1 1/3 cups King Arthur's A/P flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1t pure vanilla extract

Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 minutes. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating a minute after each. Whisk together flour, baking power, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Measure out milk and vanilla together. Add flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, alternating in thirds, beginning with the milk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until combined. Scoop into cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

 

Homemade Caramel

(adopted from Cheryl of Cupcake Bakeshop)

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 T light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 T butter

Combine the water, sugar and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium high and bring to boil. DO NOT STIR from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn't burn. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from heat and let stand for 30 seconds. Be extra careful on this next step-- make sure you wear over mitts and stand away from the pan. Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. The mixture will bubble up significantly. Stir the mixture, be careful. Add the butter and stir until combined. Set aside to cool.


Toasted Coconut Topping

2 cups shredded sweet coconut

1/4 cup home made caramel

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 T butter

Spread the coconut onto a sheet pan. Toast in 350 degree oven, stirring frequently to prevent from burning, until the coconut is an even brown color, about 10 minutes. Combine the caramel, milk and butter. Cook stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick, bubbly and golden. Add the toasted coconuts and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

8 oz 70% Dark Chocolate

3/4 cup heavy cream

Chop chocolate and transfer to a heat proof bowl. heat cream until bubbles form around the edge, pour cream over chocolate. Let sit then stir until combined. Let cool to room temperature.

Assemble:

Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon of caramel. Replace the top of the cone. Smooth on a light coating of the chocolate ganache. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to harden the ganache. With your hands, press out a disk of the coconut topping and place on top of the cupcake. Press to shape the mixture into a dome. Drizzle the top with lines of Ganache.

Homemade Caramel

Cutting off the cone

Filling the cavity with Homemade Caramel

Coating the Cupcake with Ganache

 

Coconut Mixture

Drizzled with Ganache

Thin Mints Cupcakes

(Mint) Chocolate Cupcake

(2006 Barefoot Contessa at Home)

24 cupcakes, 350 degrees oven/22-25 mins

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/3 granulated sugar

2 L eggs, room temperature

1 t peppermint extract

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature

2 T brewed coffee

1 3/4 cups King Arthur's A/P flour

1 cup Green & Blacks organic cocoa powder

1 1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t kosher salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs one at a time, then add the peppermint and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt and coffee. In another bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Divided the batter among the cupcake pans. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache

12 oz Dark Mint Chocolate
1 cup heavy cream

Chop chocolate and transfer to heat proof bowl. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute then stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature.

Assemble:

Scoop about 2 T of the ganache on the cupcake. Using an offset spatula, smooth the ganache. Top with a young mint leaf (which is conveniently available in my garden now. Yay for Spring!!)

Tagalongs Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes

(Amy Sedaris)

18 cakes/350 degrees/20 mins

1 1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 L eggs

2 t Pure Vanilla Extract

2 1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

2 1/2 cups King Arthur's A/P flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk

Cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mix for about a minute each. Add the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. On low speed, add the milk and flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the milk and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Divide the batter among the cupcake pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Creme

1 cup creamy Peanut Butter

2 cup confectioner's sugar

4 T unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 t vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

Combine everything and mix on medium-low speed until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache

(Same recipe as Dark Chocolate Ganache above)

8 oz 61% Valrhona Chocolate

3/4 cup heavy cream

 

Assemble:

Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over anf cut off the cone. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon of Peanut Butter Creme. Replace the top of the cone. Pipe about 2 T of the Peanut Butter Cream on the cupcake, smoothen. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set. Pipe about 1 1/2 of T of the ganache and smoothen.