Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Girl Scout Cookies All Grown Up In A Thin Mint Cheesecake Parfait

My daughter, lives and teaches in Seoul, South Korea. She loves being there and has bonded with her students and the culture. Six months have passed since her departure, and I'm ready to send her another Care package. Since the shipping half way around the world is fairly dear, I wanted to make sure what I sent was something she really wanted versus a surprise. It is a little like the question of what familiar items you'd take to a deserted island (Seoul is far from a deserted island, but you know what I mean). Well, Girl Scout cookies were at the top of her list! She chose her favorite cookies along with a box of Cheese-its and some other treasures. I guess a girl can only eat so much kimchi and raw fish and count it as comfort food. I gave a call to my neighbor who has two Girl Scout daughters and was lucky enough to get the three boxes I wanted. Three boxes.....do the math at $4 a box plus shipping to Seoul (don't forget the other treats)......what a mother won't do! Inspired by the possibilities of the cookies, I bought an extra box of Thin Mints. In 1-2-3, I turned it into a Thin Mint Cheesecake Parfait that I'll have to make for my daughter when she comes back stateside.

This couldn't be easier to make in 3 steps. No baking involved!
Thin Mint Cheesecake Parfait

18 Thin Mint cookies or Keebler Grasshopper cookies
16 ounces low fat cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 ounce plain powdered gelatine (1 packet)
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup heavy cream

1. Prepare 6-1cup containers by coarsely breaking 1 cookie into the bottom.
2. Put cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and using a mixer, whip until light. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice and continue beating until mixture is smooth and light. In a small bowl mix gelatine and hot water. Stir until it has fully dissolved and has no lumps. Add this to the cream cheese mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the heavy cream and beat on high until the mixture is light and fluffy.3. Scoop mixture into prepared cups, filling half way. Coarsely break one more cookie on top of mixture and then scoop more filling on top. Refrigerate for about 3 hours. Just before serving, crush one cookie on top, and garnish with a strawberry and fresh mint leaf.

Makes 6-2/3 cup servings.


Written and photographed by Diane.

Download recipe Thin Mint Cheesecake Parfait (pdf)



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