March 12 is National Girl Scout Day — a time to reflect and, yes, a time to celebrate the almighty Girl Scout Cookie.
The Girl Scouts first began in 1912 under the leadership of Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low, who was from Savannah, Georgia. It was a time when women in the United States didn’t even have the right to vote. But that didn’t stop Low from chasing a vision she had for the future of women in leadership. She and 18 young girls came together in Savannah, where Low shared her knowledge of the outdoors.
Thus, the Girl Scouts of the USA were born. These strong, confident young women hike and camp, earn badges, and learn how to be leaders in their communities. The organization's website reads, “The inclusive, all-female environment of a Girl Scout troop creates a safe space where girls can try new things, develop a range of skills, take on leadership roles, and just be themselves.”
Another thing Girl Scouts are known for is their famous cookies. Girl Scouts sell these sweet morsels across their neighborhoods and learn how to manage their own small businesses. And although these beloved treats are often the highlight of springtime, it's not uncommon to order way too many boxes of the sugary cookies.
Ashley Martinez, a registered dietician with Cincinnati-based Kroger, has used her love of peanut butter and chocolate to bring her very own “healthified” Girl Scout Cookie recipe to life.
“I love that Girl Scout Cookies are a seasonal treat,” Martinez tells CityBeat. “I like that there's a focus on the growth of these kids, whether it's Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts. There's a focus and a push to really support them and their learning — they're learning about finances; they're learning about selling; they're learning about talking to people.”
Martinez uses her Instagram page as a platform to educate people about culinary nutrition. She is passionate about teaching others how to turn healthy ingredients into flavorful dishes — which is where her faux Girl Scout Cookies come in.
Her “Better For You Tagalongs” recipe uses peanut butter and chocolate to mimic the popular Girl Scout treat. Try her recipe below:
Better For You Tagalongs
Recipe provided by Ashley Martinez, MFN, RDN, LD Culinary Dietitian, @ashleysapron
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 8-10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serving: 20-22 cookies
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup oat flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 3 TBSP coconut sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 TBSP maple syrup
- 1 TBSP coconut oil
- 1 TBSP canola oil
- 1.5 TBSP ultra-filtered milk
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- Pinch of salt and sea salt for topping
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix oat flour, almond flour, baking powder and coconut sugar. Next, add in 2 TBSP maple syrup, 1 TBSP melted coconut oil, 1 TBSP canola oil, milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix peanut butter and 1 TBSP of maple syrup and set aside.
- Roll out dough between two pieces of plastic wrap about ¼-inch thick. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place on baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies have a golden color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes.
- Place 1-2 tsp of the peanut butter mixture on each cookie and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips then coat the cookies and add a pinch of sea salt. Allow time for the chocolate to dry, then serve.
