These DIY Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies are just as delicious as the originals…no green uniform required!
Yes, it is possible to be too virtuous. Here’s how it all went down— I didn’t intend to, but I bought a few boxes of girl scout cookies from the little girl that came to our door last month. She delivered them the other day. 3 boxes of Tagalongs, my favorite. But I was so good I stashed them inside a flat rate box that was just about filled and ready to be shipped to my daughter at grad school. I even taped the box shut.
So of course the next thing I know I’m going crazy looking for a little something sweet after dinner. My husband and I have been remarkably good at keeping the kitchen free of junk food and sweets. Other than my what I cook for the blog, we’re pretty much dessert free. On a whim I typed in DIY Tagalong Cookie in my Google search bar and it was straight downhill from there. Or uphill. Depends on your point of view I guess.
Now I have a batch of copy cat Tagalongs that are even better than the mass produced original. That’s what I get for being good.
Tagalongs are my favorite Girl Scout Cookie. I don’t know if I’m in the minority on that or what. I like them much better than all the others. Tagalongs have a shortbread cookie base, a layer of sweetened peanut butter filling, and a coating of milk chocolate. They’re richer than the other Girl Scout cookies, and that peanut butter chocolate thing is always good.
My DIY Thin Mints have been so popular, and they turned out great, but I have to say, these cookies are even more my style. I guess I’m slowly working my way through the Girl Scout lineup…anybody have a good recipe for Samoas?
Notes: I used milk chocolate chips for my coating. I should have used baking chocolate, but I didn’t have any. The chocolate chips will work, but I find they melt up a little thicker, and so it is a little more tedious to dip the cookies. I would recommend using baking chocolate.
Recipe adapted from Chow
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz milk chocolate, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F
- Whisk the egg and vanilla in a small cup and set aside.
- Pulse the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor to combine. Drop in the pieces of butter and pulse until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.
- Pour in the egg mixture and pulse again, about 25 or 30 times, until the dough comes together.
- Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and bring it together in a ball. Divide in 2. Roll out each half into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The log will be approximately 6 inches or so long.
- Roll the logs in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about an hour. I like to put my dough logs inside a split cardboard tube (like the kind that wrapping paper comes on) so that the log stays nice and round. If you don't have one, try turning and reshaping your dough halfway through the chilling time.
- Slice the chilled logs of dough into 1/8 inch slices, and place them 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake at 375 for about 8 to 10 minutes, until just golden around the edges. Cool on a rack.
- Mix the peanut butter, the sugar and the vanilla. Spread an even layer of the filling on each cooled cookie.
- Put the chocolate into a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, and microwave for 1 minute. Take out and stir. If the chocolate is not completely melted, microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Make sure you measuring cup is completely dry, even a drop of water will cause your chocolate to seize up.
- Take a cookie and spread chocolate across the bottom. A small offset spatula works well for this. Then place the cookie on a fork, and spoon the melted chocolate all over the top, being sure to cover the whole top. Tap the fork along the edge of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate from the cookie. Carefully lay the cookie on waxed or parchment paper.
- If your chocolate becomes too thick to work with, microwave it for 15 to 30 seconds to-re warm it.
- Let all the cookies set for 30-45 minutes or so until the chocolate firms up. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to eat.
59 Comments
Kristy Cranford
December 20, 2014 at 5:57 pmCan I substitute store bought shortbread cookies?
Sue
December 20, 2014 at 6:20 pmGreat idea!
Kristy Cranford
December 21, 2014 at 6:59 amThank you Sue! Hopefully they’ll turn out as good as made from scratch :)
Sue
December 21, 2014 at 7:18 amI think they’ll be great, just look for a cookie that isn’t too thick!
Rachel Smith
March 31, 2014 at 1:34 pmThese look so yummy, and I will have to make them for my husband since Tagalongs are his favorite too. I’ve been using the Ghiradelli Melting Wafers (dark and white) to make homemade Twix Bites, which are absolutely incredible. Have you tried them yet? I bet the cookies would be amazing with these wafers!
Sue
March 31, 2014 at 2:11 pmI had no idea Ghirardelli made melting wafers, and they would be the perfect solution to any melting and coating troubles, I’m going to check them out, thanks Rachel!
Steph
July 29, 2015 at 8:46 pmThanks for the recipe! My dog is named Ghirardelli because she’s so sweet! I’m going to try this recipe with their dark chocolate squares. I love dark chocolate – milk is too sweet for me.
Poli
March 26, 2014 at 1:50 pmI think this is the perfect sweet to prepare for my husband. He is mad about everything containing peanut butter. Do you think I can put more of the PB cream or it will be difficult to dip in the chocolate later?
Sue
March 26, 2014 at 2:02 pmI think you can put more on, I think that would be really good, too!
Suzanne Kronenberger
March 25, 2014 at 10:26 amThey look divine. Does anyone have a DIY for the lemon pastry crèmes? I cried when girl scouts discontinued those cookies.
Steph
July 29, 2015 at 8:51 pmWe still sell Lemonades down here in Florida. Shortbread with a lemon icing on the bottom. And then the Caramel Delites. Too, too many yummy cookies! Send me an email in January when we will be getting ready to sell hem again, and I’ll hook you up. sassys1313@yahoo.com
Lauren Wisswell
June 6, 2013 at 12:54 pmHOMEMADE SAMOAS
STEP ONE: THE COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
up to 2 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or nonstick foil.
Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Add vanilla and milk. Only add a little milk at a time just to help dough come together. U don’t want to add too much and make it sticky. Roll dough 1/4″ thick and cut out circles. (NO cookie cutter? just use a glass upside down) Then u will want a smaller cutter for the center. If u don’t have one, try using a straw or skip this part because the filling covers a lot of the center anyway! Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool completely.
STEP 2: DIP THE COOLED COOKIES
MELT 1 BAG CHOCOLATE CHIPS (DARK, SEMI OR MILK) AND DIP EACH COOKIE INTO THE CHOCOLATE. SET ON WAX PAPER. YOU CAN DIP JUST BOTTOMS IF U PREFER BUT I DIPPED ENTIRE COOKIE.
STEP 3: MAKE THE TOPPING AND PLACE ON COOKIES WHILE CHOCOLATE IS STILL WET.
3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
12 oz. caramels
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cream
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and spread coconut on a baking sheet. Bake it and toss often until lightly toasted and golden -about 15-20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Place caramels, salt and cream in microwave safe cup and nuke until melted and smooth about 3mins. When smooth, stir in the toasted coconut.
Using a small spoon or spatula, spread the topping on cookies. Use any extra chocolate to drizzle across the top! Then u can set in fridge to speed the process of everything firming up.
grace
March 1, 2013 at 8:35 pmhow perfect, sue–i’m impressed! tagalongs were always my favorite girl scout cookie, no lie.
Matador527
March 1, 2013 at 4:25 pmAm I in error in maintaining that it’s almost un-American to eat Tagalongs without chilling them in the freezer for a bit, until they are almost (or even completely) frozen?
Sue/the view from great island
March 1, 2013 at 5:52 pmYou’re absolutely right :)
Magnolia Verandah
March 1, 2013 at 8:12 amThese look unbelievably good. Too dangerous to have these in my pantry.
Sue/the view from great island
March 1, 2013 at 5:53 pmHow about in the freezer? That’s where mine are!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
March 1, 2013 at 7:37 amSue they look crazy, amazing, fabulously good! In general, “fussy” cookies that need rolling out, cutting out, spreading & smearing, then dipping, aren’t my thing…but I would defi make an exception for these! And I just saw the pic on TS, too. Some of your prettiest cookies ever! I want that filling, too :) Just that will be fine!
“anybody have a good recipe for Samoas?” — I have a recipe for Samoas Bars. I didn’t want to deal with the cookies, so much work. So made bars. They’re not exactly the same (you can find really good copycat recipes for Samoas) but they’re a pain to make. Ha!
Pinning!
Sue/the view from great island
March 1, 2013 at 5:58 pmIn general I agree completely, too many steps and you lose me. But these are good because you can make the dough log in advance, dividing up the work into 2 days. I don’t know why, but I find dipping stuff in chocolate to be fun and almost therapeutic!
I’ll check out your Samoa bars, I think that sounds like a good way to go with them.
Unknown
March 1, 2013 at 8:27 amThe melty chocolate and gooey peanut butter in your post is making my taste buds go bonkers! I’m a PB & Chocolate fanatic and love the idea of making tagalongs homemade. These will get me into some real trouble! :) – Julia http://www.theroastedroot.net
Sue/the view from great island
March 1, 2013 at 5:52 pmThanks Julia!
Joy Bee
February 28, 2013 at 8:18 pmYay! Tagalongs are my favorite too. They just don’t put enough in those boxes. I can’t wait to try this, maybe with semisweet chocolate instead of milk though. Yum, I can’t wait. Thanks for the recipe.
Sue/the view from great island
March 1, 2013 at 6:05 pmI know! They do that on purpose I guess.
All the comments about the dark chocolate coating have got me itching to make another batch
goldenbuttonshop
March 1, 2013 at 3:59 amI almost just got out of bed to make these.
Sue/the view from great island
March 1, 2013 at 5:58 pm:)
Abbe Odenwalder
March 1, 2013 at 2:55 amSo funny. I just made a version of a thin mint for my daughter who is visiting. But my husband loves the tagalongs. And you make them look so good. I may have to break down!
Sue/the view from great island
March 1, 2013 at 6:04 pmLife would be so much easier if everybody in the family all loved the same foods, wouldn’t it?
Joan
February 28, 2013 at 5:20 pmYum! I was just talking to a client about this. His wife is very very busy right now. Their cupboards are filled with girl scout cookies! I told him no one has been by my house yet and that peanut butter patties are my favorite!
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 6:50 pmIt’s pretty random which neighborhoods get ‘targeted’!! Oh well, at least now you can make your own :)
Sulpicia (III)
March 1, 2013 at 12:28 amThese look great, although thin mints are my favorite. Maybe the Tagalongs with almond butter? Probably a very dangerous idea…
Sue/the view from great island
March 1, 2013 at 5:59 pmOooooh—good idea!
Tricia Buice
February 28, 2013 at 2:52 pmWe could have some fun in the kitchen together! I looked at these and the Samoas but haven’t attempted them yet. I was thinking about making them into bars because the flavor combination of chocolate, caramel, coconut and shortbread is very exciting. These are wonderful Sue! If you need to get rid of them I can pass along a good mailing address – for me :)
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 3:44 pmYep, Samoa bars sound like a pretty good idea to me, when do we get started? Maybe we could pair up virtually to make them together??
Melissa
February 28, 2013 at 2:38 pmUhhhh can I make these for breakfast?! They look SO good! Husband is out of town for the weekend so this might be a very dangerous thing to make and have all alone :) Thanks!
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 3:43 pmYou have my permission to eat them for breakfast :)
Barbara
February 28, 2013 at 1:23 pmYou know what the problem with this recipe is? The ingredients will almost always be in your pantry…no matter how much clearing out of sweets you do! I don’t know about you, Sue, but when a craving hits, I make do with what I find in the cupboards! :) You’ve come up with a delicious cookie.
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 3:44 pmI didn’t think of that, but you’re right…dangerous…
belleau kitchen
February 27, 2013 at 10:49 pmabsolutely gorgeous!… I loved making my own York’s Peppermint Pattie’s, there was something so wonderful about making your own real versions of shop bought stuff so these will be fab to make, I just know it!
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 2:28 amDo you guys have the equivalent of Girl Scouts in the UK, and do they sell cookies? I loved your Peppermint Patties, and I agree, it’s a kick to make something you usually buy.
The Café Sucré Farine
February 27, 2013 at 10:00 pmYOU are hilarious. I thought for certain I was the only one who would do something like that – send off all of your favorite cookies and then later regret it a bit and make your own! I often say to Scott, after I’ve given away a whole cake or all of the cookies “what in the world was I thinking in giving all of that good stuff away?” :) These cookies look out of this world. I think I would love them even before they got dipped in the chocolate!
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 2:30 amThanks, Chris, it’s good to know I’m not the only lunatic out there :)
flutefish
February 28, 2013 at 5:18 amI am in so much trouble now! Tagalongs have always been a favorite of mine, so I am going to have to practice my “WON’T” power – otherwise I will be making these all the time!
I love to put the GS cookies in the freezer and eat them cold. It gives the peanut butter a crunchier texture that I enjoy.
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 3:45 pmI have most of my batch in the freezer now. I like what it does to the chocolate.
Susan Pridmore
February 28, 2013 at 5:04 amI love your blog! I found it through tastespotting and I’ve looked at something like 10 recipes of yours now, and have pinned most of them!! Really, really great recipes :-)
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 3:46 pmThanks Susan, glad you found me!
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
February 28, 2013 at 1:33 amI enjoy a good tagalong cookie and yours really does look better than the boxed GS.
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 2:21 amI figure it just about HAS to be better because at home you’re bound to be using much better quality ingredients than they do at a factory.
elephanteats
February 28, 2013 at 1:14 amWow, knowing I can make these at home is DANGEROUS! They look so good! I have to say though, I’m not a fan of coating things in chocolate…i just can never get a good method down. Any tips?
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 2:25 amIf you get a nice thin consistency in your melted chocolate it goes really smoothly. I really like putting the cookie, or truffle, or whatever you’re dipping on a fork and dipping that way. The excess chocolate drips away pretty easily. The shape of the bowl or cup that you melt the chocolate in is important too. It should be small enough so that the chocolate has some depth to dip into, and wide enough so that your fork can maneuver around. If all else fails, drizzle the chocolate all over the tops and forget about the bottoms!
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez
February 28, 2013 at 12:14 amYou’re killin’ me, Sue – I LOOOOVE Tagalongs! And I didn’t see any girl scouts this year. Guess I’ll have to make these. And your thin mints which I’ve been “meaning” to make since you posted them…
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 2:26 amI thought I got away without seeing any this year too and then dang if a cute little girl didn’t come knocking one night when I had my guard down!
Mary Younkin
February 27, 2013 at 10:29 pmYou’ve done it again. These look amazing! Traditional or not, I’d totally dip mine in dark chocolate. For what it’s worth, I’ve had that same samoa recipe, that is linked above, bookmarked to try some day. Feel free to test it out for me! (and then go ahead and ship some over, I wouldn’t mind)
P.S. As if I don’t already make enough of your recipes! I have another one posting tomorrow. Guess I’ll just add these cookies to the list.
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 2:30 amI know, dark chocolate would totally put these over the top, I was just trying to stay true to the original. I really think dark chocolate seems to melt better than the milk, too.
I can’t wait to see what you made!
themoveablefeasts
February 27, 2013 at 9:49 pmNice decision, Sue. I don’t get so giddy anymore when I see it’s girl scout cookie season—maybe cause I know that homemade ones are so much better. These look great! I love tagalongs, thought I don’t think they’re my favorite. And to answer your question about samoas — this one looks pretty good to me (I’ve had it bookmarked for awhile but haven’t gotten around to making it): http://www.designsponge.com/2012/11/in-the-kitchen-with-lara-ferronis-chocolate-coconut-caramel-cookies.html
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 2:34 amOh thanks Amy, I’ll check it out. I don’t get so excited about the cookie season either, although maybe it has something to do with their recent string of flops when it comes to introducing new varieties…mango creme? I think they should stick to the classics!
bellini
February 27, 2013 at 8:42 pmI have never had a Tagalong since they are not available in Canada. In the winter we have Thin Mints and in the Spring we have chocolate and vanilla. Maybe that is a good thing, once again depending on your point of view:D
Sue/the view from great island
February 28, 2013 at 2:35 amI’ll have to send you a few to sample!