I was a Girl Scout for many, many years. More accurately, I was a Daisy in kindergarten, worked my way up to become a Brownie, and then became a Girl Scout from there. It seems like I was in the Girl Scouts forever, but I actually believe it was only until the 5th grade. I’m sure I learned many important lessons, but the things that stick with me are cookie selling and camping. Cookie selling I loved; camping I hated. I was also not a fan of the brown or green uniforms. Could you get any more unfashionable?
Today’s world of Girl Scout cookie selling? Is probably a little bit different than it was in my day (I feel like a grandma saying that). But seriously, sonny, do you think parents these days let their children go door-to-door at strangers’ houses? Do you think people open the door when someone they’re not expecting comes a-knocking? No. These days you’re much safer staying in your house making your OWN Girl Scout cookies.
I kid. I still support the Girl Scouts of American 100% and would never discourage you from purchasing from them. And let’s face it, Girl Scouts aren’t likely going door-to-door these days (right??). They’re selling the cookies to their parents’ work friends and on busy downtown corners with the rest of their troop. I also heard whoever sells the most cookies in each troop or district wins an iPad. Yup, times have changed. In my day, I think we won a stuffed teddy bear or a clock radio. Woot.
But I still wanted to try my hand at making my very favorite Girl Scout cookies from scratch, Tagalongs. They’re the chocolate covered peanut butter ones and they’ve always been my favorites. Well, those and Samoas, which I kind of recreated here. The seemingly best Tagalong recipe I found is AWESOME, but it does create almost double the cookie dough that you need. Honestly, I’m happy it did because these are amazing and now I have more dough in the freezer, but if you just want enough for one batch, cut the cookie ingredients in half (butter through flour).
Homemade Tagalongs:
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 C confectioner sugar
• 2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream together butter and sugar using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer (you could use a hand blender if you need, too!). Beat until smooth.
Then add in the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated and smooth.
Turn the mixer to low and add in the salt and flour. Mix until well incorporated.
Shape dough into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2-3 inches. Like so:
Then wrap this dough in parchment paper (which was a bit awkward) and put it in the freezer for at least 25 minutes. (there are so many that’s what she saids in my head right now, it’s not even funny).
When the dough is sufficiently chilled, slice it into 1/8 inch disks and place on baking sheets. Slice 30 cookies and then wrap the remainder of the dough in plastic wrap and stick it back in the freezer for another time. If you want to use all the dough to make about 60 cookies, you’ll want to double the measurement of peanut butter, confectioner sugar, and chocolate that you use later.
Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Then place the cookies on a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Now, it’s time to make the filling. All you need to do is mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar.
Melt your chocolate chips over a double broiler (or in the microwave).
Now, press a small disk of peanut butter mixture onto a cookie.
Coat the cookie completely in chocolate.
Remove cookie with a fork and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Let cookies harden. Or pop them in the freezer to speed this up. I obviously put mine in the freezer. I think these cookies are so much better cold anyway!
Serve with a big glass of cold milk. And marvel how they taste pretty much exactly like Tagalongs! Seriously. I was actually kind of shocked.
The only thing I’d change if I made them again? I’d probably use higher-quality chocolate. My chocolate discerning palate could tell it wasn’t the very best chocolate, but it was still delicious. I kinda want to try these with dark chocolate. Mmmm.
I mean, how could you go wrong with a shortbread cookie topped with peanut butter and sugar and coated entirely in chocolate? You really can’t.
But this could mean trouble for me. Now I know how easy it is to make cookies that I previously thought I could only get during one part of the year. I could get a craving at midnight and have these made by 1 a.m…. without a Girl Scout in sight. Or an ugly brown uniform. Or a campfire.
And something tells me I’m going to have to work really hard to resist. Especially considering this recipe makes 30 cookies. And there are probably only about 15 Tagalongs in a box. Yup, trouble.
If you are a Tagalong fan, you really must make these. If you’ve never had a Tagalong but love the chocolate-peanut butter combination, you also really must try these. I’m seriously in heaven.
In speaking further about supporting the Girl Scouts, here’s an idea I’ve been hearing more and more people doing. Instead of buying 5 boxes of cookies and pigging out (I’d really prefer to pig out on cookies I make from scratch), buy 5 boxes and donate them to the troops, your local shelter, or church. OR, simply donate the money you would spend on cookies to the GIrl Scouts without getting anything in return. Visit this site to find a Girl Scout cookie seller near you. I really am big on supporting organizations like the Girl Scouts, but I also love making cookies from scratch and am so thrilled I duplicated this recipe!
What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Would you duplicate it if you could? This could get dangerous!
[Sues]
Garden of Eatin’ Giveaway Winner:
The winner of the wonderful Garden of Eatin’ Prize-pack giveaway is (drumroll, please) Alycia of Fit n Fresh! Congrats Alycia and I hope you enjoy chowing down on the Garden of Eatin’ tortilla chips while watching the Super Bowl in a couple weeks! I’ll e-mail you to get your info 🙂
These look delish! Can’t wait to try the recipe. Now if only we could recreate Samoas…
I looove Tagalongs. Now I have to make these. There is no question.
What a great idea. Can you make test a recipe for Thin Mints too?! 🙂
Yum!
Tagalongs are my favorite cookie! Definately going to make these.
That said, we had a girl scout (well, a daisy) ring our doorbell on Sunday. Her father was there with her, but she did the talking. I felt bad telling her that we had already bought ours.
oh emm gee. Tagalongs are my favorite girl scout cookie, so these look incredible. Side note: Did you know some people call them Peanut Butter Patties? I discovered this in college as 2 of us called them Tagalongs and the other two called them Peanut Butter Patties. I guess it depends on who the manufacturer in the area is.
Laura
Wow, I think I need to make these this weekend! Tagalongs and Samoas are my favorite!
Homemade girl scout cookie? What a fabulous idea. Its funny, where we live down South all the kiddos still go door to door. And I am a SUCKER for a kid selling anything. Yup- I just bought 5 boxes of girl scout cookies
i really wish i didn’t click on this. 🙁 God these look soooo good right now. Sorry Girl Scouts but these look way better.
Susie, if I give you my address, will you come to my door and bring some cookies? Seriously though, I love it when the Girl Scouts start selling them on Charles Street right in front of the hardware store. And yes, I totally know their exact location every year!
Oh goodness. I now have access to a recipe for homemade Thin Mints and Tagalongs. This is dangerous information!
mmm i have to try these…i have a homemade thin mint recipe (which is my fave) that i’ve been meaning to try, but these look really good too, i should probably just make both!
While I may be more of a Samoas girl, I still can’t resist a Tagalong. These look absolutely wonderful! I’ll have to give them a try next time I’m craving Girl Scout cookies and can’t find a box!
Ha ha. We’re the same! I made it to 5th grade as well… loved cookie selling, hated camping.
These look amazing!
Thin mints were always my favorite until now…………I can guarantee you that there will always be a roll of frozen Tagalongs in the freezer for emergency use only………….like when the grandchildren show up unexpectedly…………..or when Grammy is having a sugar attack!
Wow, these look uh-mazing!!!!! I have been missing Girl Scout cookies…for some reason I can never figure out where to get them since there are no young girls in my life!
I literally opened your site on my google reader and said, “oh no, what did she do NOW?” lol. Literally. I can’t believe you just made Tagalongs. A-MA-ZING.
Yum! Tagalongs are my favorite Girl Scout cookies. I need to make these, like now! 🙂
Ok, I love you. Can’t wait to try these myself!
omg these are totally trouble!
My access to girl scout cookies was sadly limited when I was little, so other than thin mints, my knowledge of the other types came mostly in recent years from recipes recreating them. This one being PB, chocolate AND shortbread would clearly be my favorite. Want.
ok i would totally be a girl scout again if it meant i could win an ipad selling cookies!! these, and caramel delights are my favs. must make soon 🙂
Mother of pearl, Christmas came early this year! These are only my favorite cookies EVER.
i don’t think i ever had a tagalong?!? i always go for the samoas and thin mints
Heaven’s to Betsy – those look WONDERFUL!!!
Tag-a-longs are my favorite Girl Scout cookie – can’t wait to try this.
I made these too about a year and a half ago since we have food allergies here. They were fun to make and so much fun to eat! Yours look beautiful!
These look amazing.Better than tag a longs which is a big favorite around here.
Tagalongs are my absolute favorite – this recipe is dangerous!!
Homemade girl scout cookies?! GENIUS.
Wow. You had me from the very first photo of the batter. Then I saw the baked cookies, and I was drooling. By the time I got to the photos of the peanut butter dipped chocolate covered cookies I was practically putting on my boots and shoveling my car out of a foot of snow to get to the supermarket for the ingredients. I am DEFINITELY making these. SOON.
I love peanutbutter! this cookie is amazing!
These look super! And yes, I agree. Dark chocolate would make these perfect.
Love the Girl Scouts. I was one and was also a leader. (Didn’t mind the camping, either.) My fave cookie is the thin mint,
I think you’re really going to cut into their market share this year 🙂 Those look amazing. I started out as a daisy too and went all the way through fifth grade!
I didn’t grow up with girl scout cookies so I never got my people were so obsessed with them… but this is one cookie I actually do like. The homemade version looks even better – you really can’t go wrong with this ingredients list! 🙂
These look perfectly delicious, a wonderful homemade version!
My favorite too. I would be in trouble too if I made these. 🙂
This is a very dangerous recipe to be in possession of! The look yummy! The samoa’s are my favorite – but i’ve never turned down a tagalong either!
I used to love Tagalong cookies but didn’t even think to make them at home…these look SO good!
YUM! I would have a harder time stopping at a few of these than the Girl Scout cookies.
These look amazing! Now if you could teach us how to make some homemade samoas…or caramel treats…whatever the pc GS cookie terminology is this year. Thanks!
These were always my favorite cookie too! I can’t wait to make them – these actually look better!
Both of my girls were girl scouts and the cookie sale was a big deal here. Oh my goodness these look delicious. I wish I had little girls in the house now to help me eat these 😉
I am reading this and thinking, yes, it is that time of year again…Girl Scout cookie time. I buy way too many boxes, and freeze them to enjoy later.
Yes, my favorite is the thin mints but, these homemade tag alongs, I am loving it. Chocolate and peanut butter-yes!!!
I just bought cookies from one of my former students- Carmel Delights (Samoas) to be exact. I love those and thank god I don’t know how to make them haha. I also love the Tagalong ones too though. So good.
Yum! Those, along with Samoas, are my two favorites!
Yum! I was a GS too and loved selling cookies! These look SOO good – I’m impressed 🙂
I have four sisters and all were in girl scouts. I’ve certainly had my fair share of GS cookies. Tagalongs are my fav. Now I can make them all year around.
that’s so clever! that was always my favorite kind.
I mean, I think you’ve got a scout’s honor hit on your hand. These look divine…now how about some Samoas?
I love Tagalongs! They were my favorite of the cookie selection too. In my house, the Samoas went too quick for me to get my share whereas I could stuff several Tagalongs in my mouth before anyone noticed (they were too busy fighting over Samoas). I can’t wait to try this out!
OH ME
OH MY
this is amazing!
I havent had real food in DAYS. when i feel like baking again i need t make these
impressive!
missed you and chels like whoa
ooooh. drool.
can samoas be next? pretty please?
Yum! Brings back fond memories of my days in girl scouts. These were definitely one of my favorite cookies.
OMG!! You made these cookies yourself!!!! I have to save this recipe. I just finished eating the last Tagalong cookie in the box. Now, I can make my own. Thank you for sharing this. =)
-Miss Alley Kat
=o) MMMMMMMMMM! These were great… thanks for sharing!
Haha, I have those same glasses with the smoke colored bottom. I LOVE them! And my boyfriend loves tagalongs. I must try these soon! Thanks!
I simply could not depart your web site before suggesting that I actually enjoyed the standard infor