Shortbread/Trefoils Toffee and Chocolate Bark with Toasted Almonds

Created by: Nancy Mock

Shortbread/Trefoils Toffee and Chocolate Bark with Toasted Almonds is the grand prize winner and the Candies category winner of the 2016 National Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest Sponsored by Taste of Home®. Congrats on a job deliciously well done!

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 10 min. + chilling

• 1 package (9 ounces) Girl Scout Shortbread/Trefoils® cookies
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a greased 15×10-in. rimmed baking pan with parchment paper coated with cooking spray. Arrange Shortbread/Trefoils® cookies in pan.

Microwave butter until melted; whisk in brown sugar. Microwave 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is a thick caramel sauce. Pour sauce over Shortbread/Trefoils® cookies, covering each completely.

Bake until puffed up and bubbly, about 10 minutes (do not allow to burn). Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over hot caramel. Let stand 5 minutes; spread chocolate over caramel. Top with almonds.

Refrigerate baking pan until chocolate and caramel have hardened, about 1 hour. Break or cut bark. Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Yield: 2 pounds.

Delightful Caramel Bars

Created by: Stephanie Salmento

Delightful Caramel Bars is the grand prize winner and the Cookies/Brownies/Bars category winner of the 2015 National Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest Sponsored by Taste of Home®. Congrats on a job deliciously well done!

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling

• 1 package (9 ounces) Girl Scout Shortbread/Trefoils®, divided
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 8 Girl Scout Caramel deLites®/Samoas® cookies, coarsely chopped
• 25 caramels
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 12 Shortbread/Trefoils® in a food processor; pulse until crushed. Reserve for topping.

Place remaining Shortbread/Trefoils® cookies in food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter; pulse until blended. Press onto bottom of an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Layer with chocolate chips and chopped Caramel deLites®/Samoas® cookies.

In a large saucepan, combine caramels and milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until caramels are melted. Pour over Caramel deLites®/Samoas® cookies; sprinkle with reserved crushed Shortbread/Trefoils® cookies. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 2 dozen.

Lemon Shortbread Cheesecake

Created by: Rosalia Roger

Lemon Shortbread Cheesecake is the Cakes/Pies/Cupcakes category winner of the 2015 National Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest Sponsored by Taste of Home®. Congrats on a job deliciously well done!

Prep: 30 min. + freezing

• 1 package (9 ounces) Girl Scout Shortbread/Trefoils® cookies
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING:

• 2 packages (8 1/2 ounces each) Girl Scout Lemonades™ cookies
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

LEMON CURD:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed

Place Shortbreads/Trefoils® cookies in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Add butter; pulse just until blended. Press onto bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Freeze 10 minutes.

Place Lemonades™ cookies in a clean food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in Lemonades™ cookie crumbs. In another bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form; fold into cream cheese mixture. Spread over crust. Freeze, covered, for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Add butter; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 170°. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat immediately. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl; cool. Press plastic wrap onto surface of lemon curd. Refrigerate until cold.

Spoon 1 cup lemon curd over cheesecake. Freeze 1 hour longer. Remove rim from pan. Serve with remaining lemon curd. Yield: 12 servings.

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 1 ¼ hours + chilling

• 2 cups crushed Shortbread/Trefoil® Girl Scout Cookies
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 jar (12 1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 5 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

SOUR CREAM TOPPING:

• 2 cups (8 ounces each) sour cream
• 1/3 cup sugar

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8–10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup flour into the caramel topping. Set aside 1/3 cup caramel mixture and 2 tablespoons pecans for garnish. Drizzle remaining caramel mixture over crust; sprinkle with remaining pecans.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar vanilla, and remaining flour until smooth. Beat in eggs and yolks just until combined. Stir in cream. Pour over crust. Bake at 325° for 65–70 minutes or until center is almost set.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar; carefully spread over warm filling. Bake 10–12 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

Chill for 8 hours or overnight. Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, drizzle with reserved caramel mixture and sprinkle with reserved pecans. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings.

Chocolate Hazelnut Parfaits

Prep: 10 min. + chilling

• 3 cups cold milk
• 1 cup refrigerated hazelnut nondairy creamer
• 2 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup crushed Shortbread/Trefoil® Girl Scout Cookies
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• Whipped cream, optional

In a large bowl, whisk the milk, creamer, and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.

Spoon 1/4 cup pudding into each of eight parfait glasses; sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cookie crumbs. Top with strawberries and remaining pudding and crumbs. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Festive White Chocolate Cheesecake

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 35 min. + chilling

• 2 cups crushed Shortbread/Trefoil® Girl Scout Cookies
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white baking chips
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

SAUCE:

• 1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

TOPPING:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, chips, sour cream, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 35–40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

In a small saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until blended. Cool.

Just before serving, remove sides of springform pan. Spoon sauce over cheesecake to within 1 in. of edges. In a small bowl, beat cream and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe over sauce. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings.

Frozen Raspberry Cheesecakes

Prep: 15 min. + freezing

• 1/4 cup crushed Shortbread/Trefoil® Girl Scout Cookies
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup raspberry sherbet, softened
• 1/4 cup fresh raspberries

In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a 4-in. springform pan coated with cooking spray. Freeze for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, milk, and lemon juice until blended.

Spread over crust. Freeze for 2 hours or until firm. Spread sherbet over cream cheese layer; freeze 2 hours longer. Top with raspberries. Yield: 2 servings.