Girl Scout cookies?

So Conference Weekend was awesome! (ya ok, two weeks late I know) N and G went and visited family so S and I stayed home and watched. I love being able to hear the words of the Lord! I decided that Sunday I would have a baking extravaganza. Mainly to keep busy and give some people in the ward cookies, but also because I have recently decided to become a PASTRY CHEF!!! I think by my most recent calculation I decided that it's going to take me about three years before I can get my degree from the pastry school of my choice. I still have to graduate from BYU (hopefully August 2010), and then I'm planning on finding a job for a year to finance said educational adventure. Plus it might be nice to take a trip somewhere foreign. We'll see...

But back to Conference weekend. I was looking for recipes to bake when I stumbled upon one for Caremel de Lites (aka Samoas!). After about a month of wishing I knew some Girl Scouts, I realized I'm talented enough to make my own GS cookies. So I found a recipe for Thin Mints and got super excited to bake all of Sunday. I then realized that I should have my own baking blog! So...this is officially becoming my baking blog. Fear not! In case you were wondering how you are going to keep track of my busy, busy life I'm still going to add tidbits about my random happenings. I might even update more.

Homemade Samoas Bars
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)
Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.
When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping). Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container. Makes 30 bar cookies.

Mock Thin Mints
An Occasional Chocolate recipe
1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
2 Eggs
2 T. Water
2 T. Cooking Oil
1/2 Cup Cocoa
1 pkg. Guittard Chocolate Chips
2−3 drops Mint Flavoring Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cake mix, eggs, water, cooking oil, and cocoa. Blend together well. Let stand for 20 minutes, and then shape into 1/2 inch balls. Place balls on cookie sheet 2 inches a part and smash down flat using a spoon covered in non-stick spray. Bake for about 8 minutes. Let cool.
Heat chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. When completely melted add a couple drops of the mint flavoring. Dip the cookies into the chocolate using a dipping tool

After having to combine melted chocolate chips with cookies I realized two things; 1) I need better chocolate chips to melt down so things aren't so thickly covered, 2) I need to get better at working with chocolate. I just chatted with a girl in my ward who dipped her own strawberries for our wards desert night and she said she uses Almond Bark chocolate from Wal Mart for her melted chocolate purposes. I shall investigate.

Oh PS...this is what I made on the Saturday of Conference. It turned out pretty good I think.

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake
recipe from Paula Deen
Ingredients:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoon (1 stick) butter, melted
Mint leave (for garnish)
Whipped cream (for garnish)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, eggs and butter together and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased 13 X 9-inch baking pan. Prepare filling.

Filling:
One 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 whole banana
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
One 16-ounce box powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Add peanut butter; beat. Add the banana and butter and mix well. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 325 degrees if using a metal pan; 350 degrees if using a glass pan. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake. Top cake slice with mint leaf and dollop of whipped cream.

I put half a can of chocolate frosting on top. Chocolate + Banana's+Peanut Butter=Yummm!