Recipe for the first Trefoil Cookies

Juliette Gordan Low established the Girl Scouts in 1912.  By 1917 cookie sales were being used as a fundraiser for troop activities. In July 1922, American Girl magazine, published by Girl Scout national headquarters, included the following recipe for shortbread cookies, suggesting to the girls that they could produce these cookies for 26 to 36 cents for 6 to 7 dozen cookies and to sell the cookies for 25 to 30 cents per dozen as a fundraising activity.  The recipe was supplied by Florence E Neil, a council director in Chicago.

The "First" Girl Scout Cookies: 

Trefoils

1c butter
1c sugar (plus additional for optional topping)
2   eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and cup of sugar, add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt and baking powder.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes, and spring suger on top if desired.  Bake in a quick oven (375 degrees) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Makes 6 to 7 dozen cookies.

I laugh when I read this, and wonder what a "quick" oven is - I am pretty sure it's not a microwave - it must be time for a call to my grandma. 

If you are "Jonsing" and need a quick GS cookie fix, this might do it, so try out the recipe.  But the true fix for craving GS cookies - especially our more modern Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs - is to order some of your very own through your local Girl Scouts. 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO PLACE AN ORDER FOR GIRL SCOUT COOKIES! 

And, do it fast!  This is the last week we're taking orders.

Check out earlier posts in this blog, too, to find recipes using GS cookies - like Do-Si-Do chicken, Thank You Berry Munch Salad, and Peanut Butter and Jam Pie!

 

The Classic Girl Scout Cookie: Trefoils

Girl Scouts have been selling shortbread cookies for more than 60 years, and this classic (called "Trefoils" by Little Brownie Bakers), remains a favorite.  An online opinion poll found at GirlScoutCookies.org reports that 5% of us claim it is our favorite GS cookie (a 3 way tie for 4th place); but the GS organization reports that the shortbread cookies account for 9% of sales, rating 5th.

Personally, I think these are refreshingly simple and I love eating them (for breakfast) after dipping them in my coffee.  PLEASE do not tell my children I eat cookies for breakfast - it would shatter their image of me...or shatter the image I wish my children would have of me.

ABC Bakers, one of the commercial bakers producing GS cookies, offers a serving suggestion of sandwiching ice cream or sherbert between the cookies. 

Little Brownie Bakers offers a recipe for a Cheesecake cup using Trefoils.

I also found a GS council web site with a recipe for "Strawberry Angel Surprise"; and "Nutty Chocolate Delight"  - two yummy desserts made with GS Shortbread cookies.

I suspect you could make a really good pie crust by using crushed shortbread cookies & butter; and I bet that would be wonderful for a pudding pie, ice cream pie or even cheesecake. 

Be sure and check out our other posts, including recipes with other GS Cookies!! For a list of all GS cookies being offered in our region, and to find out how to place an order, click here!

And, be sure to stay tuned to learn more about GS cookies, and cookie sales in Loudoun County!

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Following our series on GS Cookies, be sure to stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources at http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

To search for homes for sale, check out the HOME SEARCH option at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

If you time it right, your housewarming gift maybe Girl Scout Cookies

or perhaps a recipe made with Girl Scout Cookies!

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

Tagalongs, My Favorites!

There is a discrepancy between the Girl Scout cookie sales reports and the online voting at GirlScoutCookies.org as to whether Thin Mints or Samoas (aka Caramel deLites) are America's favorite cookie.  Regardless of which you trust, Tagalongs (aka Peanut Butter Patties) come in a solid 3rd place.  Since these are my personal favorites, I am a little shocked, but that's fine, it means less competition for me!

Follow these links to see recipes for:

Fudgy Peanut Butter Balls (requiring only 3 ingredients, and found on the ABC Bakers web site)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfait (which reads like a rather challenging recipe) or Southern Peanut Butter Pie (I am imagining it melt in my mouth right now), both found on the web site for the GS Council of Western Washington.

I found several recipes for basic milkshakes incorporating crushed Tagalongs, but this one which is a banana-vanilla tagalong shake is intriguing: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1713157

And, even though these sound really, really good, it goes against my grain to chop up these cookies in anything other than my very own mouth.  I love them almost frozen, or completely melting in my hands!  I simply love these.  The only problem, I open a box and those darn cookies run and jump into my mouth and next thing you know they are on my hips!  To me, another hour on the bike at the gym seems worth it to enjoy these wonderful treats!

Have you ordered your Samoas, Thin Mints or Tagalongs yet? Place your order early!!  In Loudoun and the Dulles area, please contact me for details.  Elsewhere, please find a cookie sales-scout near you at http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/.

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Stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources at http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

To search for homes for sale, check out the HOME SEARCH option at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

More Recipes with Girl Scout Cookies

In prior posts I have added links for recipes made with the most popular Girl Scout cookies offered, including Samoas (aka Caramel deLites), Thin Mints, Tagalongs (aka Peanut Butter Patties), Do-Si-Dos (aka Peanut Butter Sandwiches) and the traditional Trefoil (aka Shortbread) cookies. 

There are a few other recipes I wanted to share with you that caught my attention while doing research for these posts:

Lemon Chalet Cremes:  Lemon Out of Site Delight - a Lemon pie that sounds delightful

Dulche de Leche: Dulche de Leche & Chocolate Delight

Thanks A Lots (sadly, our area doesn't offer this cookie, but I liked the recipe): Thanks-A-Lot Chocolate Eclair

You'll notice themes with many of the recipes:

Plainer cookies (like Trefoils, ThanksALots, Thank U Berry Munches) can be crushed and made into a pie crust, and then by adding a complimentary ice cream (soften it in your microwave first and then spread into the pie and re-freeze) or pudding (follow pie filling recipe) or cheesecake.  Then add some garnish like fruit, cookies or whip cream.

Fancier (like Samoas) cookies can be crushed and put into pudding with other favorite additives and served as delightful treats.

I also found some recipes intriguing - like the shrimp prepared with a recipe using Samoas, or the Do-Si-Do Chicken, and my favorite, the Thank U Berry Munch salad.

So, get creative with your cookies this year - buy an extra box or two, just to see what you can invent!  Then, submit the recipe to me (must be original), and I will post it and circulate it through the GS community, and your first box the next year is on me!

Remember, if you are in the Loudoun or Dulles area and would like to purchase GS cookies, we'd like to have your order!  Click here to find out how to place your order!

MARCH UPDATE:  Oh!  A new site offering recipes with GS Cookies... try these out (CLICK HERE)

LAST CALL!  We're placing final orders for GS cookies.  Email me TODAY with your order!