Thin Mint Brownies

I have a confession to make. Not too long ago, I was the little girl at your doorstep. You know her. She was the shy little girl dressed in a uniform, hair braided down the sides, nervously clutching a sheet of paper. She looked up at you with big eyes and had an even bigger question to ask.

Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?

I was a Girl Scout for many years and loved every minute of it. I sold cookies because it was a good fundraiser for the Girl Scouts. Buying a box of cookies from me would help send me to camp over the summer and pay for the activities I participated in, opening up a world of new opportunities. Or, at least this is what I told my cookie customers. More honestly, I just wanted to sell enough cookies to win a free giant stuffed duck. Somehow I don't think this pitch would have gone over as well.

Hi! Buy cookies from me because I want a free duck! It doesn't quack, but its squishy and bigger than my head!

Luckily, my pitch didn't matter because when it comes to selling Girl Scout cookies, I wouldn't even have to utter a word to sell a few boxes. No one can say no to these cookies. These cookies have been popular so long that by now everyone has their own favorite. My favorite happens to be the Samoas (those delicious chocolate caramel cookies), but the Thin Mints come in a close second.

Because Girl Scout cookies are so loved this time of year, I thought I'd share something else you can do with them besides eating the entire box in one sitting (which has been known to accidentally happen).

These Thin Mint brownies are just fun. The brownies are fudgy and moist with an undeniable chocolate mint flavor. The Thin Mints are crushed and folded into the brownie batter to give the brownies that full Thin Mint flavor. The cookies may lose their crunch, but they certainly do not lose their characteristic taste. Make these if you have Girl Scout cookies laying around. Make them even if you don't—any chocolate mint cookie will do.

Click to read more ...

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I am notoriously awful at hearing song lyrics correctly. I have become so good at mishearing lyrics, it's becoming something of an art form (or at least that's what I tell myself). Of course, I have no idea I'm hearing them wrong; it isn't until I sing them loud enough for others to hear do I become aware of this. Embarrassing? Yes. Humiliating? Just a bit. No one wants to be that person belting out the wrong words to a favorite song.

Let me give you a few examples. We'll start small.

Only a year ago did I learn the true lyrics to Prince's When Doves Cry. I've always heard "When the worlds collide" instead of "When Doves Cry." When Doves Cry may be the conclusion of the chorus and the name of the song, but my translation sounded so cool I didn't question it. The real lyrics are much more disappointing than my own interpretation, I think. Doves crying isn't nearly as awesome as entire worlds smashing into each other. In fact, this misheard imagery is what made me a Prince fan in the first place. Such is life.

There was a commercial when I was very young featuring Johnny Nash's I Can See Clearly Now. The song was used to sell glasses for the masses. They changed the lyrics from "I can see clearly now, I can see all obstacles in my way" to "I can see clearly now, I can see all opticals in my way." Clever advertising, but my small, undeveloped mind didn't notice this. It wasn't until I was singing this song in a car full of friends did someone point out that it wasn't opticals, but obstacles. It took me nearly 18 years to be corrected on that one. Once I actually thought about the lyrics, it seemed strange that Johnny Nash would be obsessed enough with eye health to include it in his songs.

Perhaps the most absurd misheard lyrics comes from One Republic's Apologize. Instead of "it's too late to apologize," I've always heard "it's too late to father a child." I kid you not. The first time I heard the song, these lyrics stopped me in my tracks. Too late to father a child? When is it ever too late to father a child? Why is the song called Apologize? Whenever the song played on the radio, I'd listen closely to the lyrics trying to find some context for this conclusion (of which there is none, by the way). I couldn't understand how this song was so popular despite the fact that it didn't make an ounce of sense. Eventually I brought my confusion about this up to a friend who set the record straight. To this day I struggle to hear the real lyrics whenever the song plays. It's too late to father a chiiiild, it's too laaate...

What are your best misheard lyrics?

This recipe is my first foray into gluten-free foods and I'm not disappointed. These flourless peanut butter cookies are the ultimate peanut butter cookie. The peanut butter flavor is concentrated and intense and so good. Even without flour, these cookies hold together well and do not crumble. Because I am such a sucker for chocolate, I drizzled a little on top, but this step is completely optional; the cookies don't need anything extra to taste great. If you like peanut butter cookies, make this recipe instead (trust me on this one). With only four ingredients, these cookies are a snap to make.

Click to read more ...

Cereal and Milk Bars

My sister loved these Brown Butter Rice Krispie Bars so much I made them twice in one weekend. Each time the batch didn't last more than 18 hours sitting on my kitchen counter. Either no one in my family has any self-restraint or these actually are addictive, delicious, little bars.

I'm going to go with the latter.

After so much success with those browned butter bars, I thought I would try my hand with something along a similar vein—cereal and milk bars. I've seen this idea in the stores but I can't quite bring myself to buy them (mainly because they are stuffed with preservatives and still taste stale). I figured making these myself couldn't be too hard (after all, they are very similar to rice krispie bars), so I decided to give them a try.

I chose to use multi-grain cheerios because these are a favorite in my household. I figured I'm adding enough sugar with the marshmallows so using a healthier cereal would keep these bars from popping my shirt buttons. Though, I imagine a brightly colored cereal would make these look irresistible.

This recipe is so diverse because you can honestly use any cereal of your choosing. The bars have a chewy and crunchy texture. The browned butter gives them a subtle nutty flavor with a greater depth of flavor. The milk glaze gives them more of a "bowl full of cereal" quality to them. If you like rice krispie bars, these are for you.

Click to read more ...