And the Best Girl Scout Around, Too

On a different occasion, I (the Robert) had a lady at work taking orders for Girl Scout cookies. This was problematic for me on several levels: 1) I didn't/don't have money for Girl Scout cookies; 2) I didn't/don't want to wait 6 weeks to get my cookies; 3) I didn't/don't want to pay $4.00 for . . . 8 cookies (not cool).

However, the situation was . . . solution-o-matic for me on a different level: I was sure I could find a recipe for such cookies on the Internet. Well. I did.

The first batch of cookies I decided to do was those known as Samoas or, alternatively, Caramel De-Lites. So. Um. I made them. Here's a picture.


Obviously, the project takes several steps, which included finding cookie-cutter-like devices as well as melting nearly expired caramels (and I never thought caramels could expire). In the end (though the hole's not too clear in the cell-phone picture), I cut the cookies out with the lid of a smallish spice container, and I cut the center holes out with the cap of a Sharpie marker. Alton Brown (a.k.a. "the Good Eats guy," says Beth) would be proud (or disgusted). (It was fun. Oh, and yummy.)

And, to make things fun, I brought some of the shortbread cookies upstairs for the fam to sample, saying that I was so excited to make my own Girl Scout cookies. They agreed that they were good, but Joe seemed unimpressed and called them "plain" (or something). Well, were they ever surprised when the next day — after the chocolate had cooled — I brought up the "real" cookies that I was excited about making. I think they were a bit more impressed, then.