Thin Mints may get all the glory, but at our house the most popular Girl Scout Cookies are Samoas, Tagalongs and my personal favorite, Golden Trefoils. I love Trefoils even though they seem to taste better some years than others. They are not the most flashy of Girl Scout Cookies, but they bring back good memories and they work well in recipes including Shortbread Trefoils Toffee.
Winner in the “Candies” category of the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie recipe contest, these are a twist on the ever popular Saltine Cracker Candy, where Trefoils stand in for Saltines.
They’re super easy. You just line the cookies on a tray…
Pour on a caramel coating made simply by microwaving butter and sugar for 2 minutes.
Bake at 350, then sprinkle with chocolate and almonds and let set.
You will love these! While they do not have the sweet and saltiness of the cracker version, the shortbread cookies make a flavorful and sturdy base that is, thankfully, not overly sweet. These are classified as candy, but they could also be classified as a cookie since the shortbread is fairly predominate. They won’t break your teeth like actual toffee and they are about 10 times more convenient.
Honestly, I’ve lost track of when Girl Scout Seasons begins and ends and I suppose it is different everywhere, but if you don’t have a local Girl Scout you support, my niece can hook you up with some Girl Scout Cookies.
- 1 package (9 ounces) short bread cookies (Trefoils)
- 3/4 cup salted butter (170 grams)
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150 grams)
- 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted -- can chop if desired
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 15x10 inch rimmed baking pan with nonstick foil.
- Arrange cookies evenly across pan.
- In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl (I used a Pampered Chef Batter Bowl), heat the butter until melted, then whisk or stir in brown sugar.
- Microwave 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is slightly thickened and looks more like a caramel sauce. It will still be fairly thin and pourable. Pour sauce over cookies, covering each completely.
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until caramel is very hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack very briefly -- just about 3 minutes or until caramel settles down.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over hot caramel. If desired, set another rimmed pan on top of the first rimmed pan to help hold in the heat. Let stand 5 minutes to soften chips, then spread softened chocolate chips over caramel. Sprinkle almonds over the top.
- 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.
Sonya says
March 4, 2018 at 10:28 amThis is a great idea!
Sue says
March 4, 2018 at 9:07 amI will try the recipe ASAP!
Anna says
March 4, 2018 at 8:22 amSue, I really loved this candy/cookie combo to the point I had to bag it up and hide it in the freezer. I’m going to take it to the place I work on Wednesday and share it. This is one of those things I can’t wait to share. Plus now I’ll always have a good reason for buying the Golden Trefoils (or whatever the Girl Scouts call them these days). I still call them Golden Trefoils because that’s what they were when I was a Girl Scout.
Sue says
March 4, 2018 at 7:44 amThis sounds really good!!! Seems like you could use some coconut in place of the almonds and they could be Samoa bars.