Thin Mint cookie tart recipe

Birds are chirping, flowers are starting to bloom, the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer. That can only mean one thing: It’s Girl Scout cookie time!

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It’s that time of year when Girl Scouts are out knocking on doors, clad in their badge-covered vests, selling those irresistible boxes of cookies. It’s hard to turn them away even if you’ve already bought a box from every other Girl Scout that came your way. Chances are you’ll be buying another box of Girl Scout cookies. If you’ve ended up with a cupboard full of Thin Mints, this recipe is for you.

Not surprisingly, according to GirlScouts.org, Thin Mints are the bestselling variety of cookie. What’s not to love about a chocolate-covered minty wafer? As good as the cookies are on their own, they are equally delightful as the main ingredient in this creamy, chocolaty dessert recipe.

Related story Giada De Laurentiis Just Put a Caffeinated Twist on Brownies & We'd Eat the Glaze With a Spoon

Thin Mint cookie tart recipe

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 12 Thin Mint cookies
• 4 graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 16 Thin Mint cookies
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 percent cacao)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 eggs

Topping:

• 3 Thin Mint cookies
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 percent cacao)
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

For crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place cookies and graham crackers in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is ground to a fine crumb.
3. In a bowl, stir together cookie mixture, sugar and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
4. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool.

For filling:

1. Put cookies in a zip top bag and roughly crush with a rolling pin, leaving some chunks. Reserve.
2. Chop chocolate finely and place in a large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream just to a boil. Pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes; then whisk together until completely smooth.
4. Add crushed cookies and cream cheese to chocolate mixture and whisk until incorporated. Lastly, whisk in eggs.
5. Pour mixture into cooled crust.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 to 24 minutes, until filling is set on edges. (Middle will not be completely set, but will continue to set as it cools.)
7. Let tart cool for at least an hour, and then carefully loosen tart from sides of pan by pushing up from the bottom all the way around the outside. Remove the ring and slide off bottom onto a serving plate.

For topping:

1. Put cookies in a zip top bag and crush finely with a rolling pin. Reserve.
2. Chop chocolate finely and place in a bowl. Add butter and corn syrup.
3. In a small saucepan, heat cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. Whisk until completely smooth.
4. Immediately pour mixture on top of tart and spread evenly to edges. Sprinkle with crushed cookies.
5. Let tart sit at least 15 minutes for topping to set.

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