DESTIN — Cookie season is back!
If you can resist eating entire boxes of Girl Scout cookies this year, you can turn the flavors into even more decadent creations.
On Jan. 30, seven area chefs will make their own original desserts utilizing Girl Scout Cookies as the main ingredient during the fourth annual Destin Desserts Chefs’ Competition at The Palms of Destin Resort and Conference Center, 4201 Indian Bayou Trail. Doors open at 6 p.m. for social hour, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and entertainment by Shades of Blue.
The best part: If you go, you can taste and vote for your favorite.
“Destin Desserts is my brain child that I came up with four years ago while I was the president/board chair for the Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle,” said Gretchen Erickson, Destin Desserts Chairwoman. “I always relax at night watching the Food network and the array of shows like ‘Chopped,’ ‘Cut throat Kitchen’ and ‘Top Chef.’ Merging my two favorite things, Girl Scouting and food, I came up with Destin Desserts.”
This year’s chefs will include Chef Ernie Danjean of Dockside Café & Oyster Bar, Chef Josh Higgins and Chef Zach Mote of Travinia Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar, Chef Shawn Higgins of Marlin Grill, Chef Ruston Johnson of Ruth's Chris Steak House Destin, Sous Chef Hollie Janitor of Bijoux, and Pastry Chef Denise Wilson of Highlands House.
“This unique fundraiser has become a true passion for me, especially this year since all funds raised will go directly toward the repairs of the Girl Scout Camp Kolomoki located in DeFuniak Springs,” added Erickson, a resident of Niceville. “This past spring Mother Nature's heavy rains destroyed the main access road to camp. For safety reasons the camp was shut down prohibiting over 900 girls from experiencing the outdoors program so important in the Girl Scout Leadership experience. All funds raised at Destin Desserts will go toward rebuilding the road and repairs necessary to open up Camp Kolomoki for the girls in the 19 counties we call the Florida Panhandle.”
A United Way agency, the Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle Inc. serves 4,957 girls with the help of 1,937 volunteers.
“This is my 46th year in Girl Scouting and I am grateful to serve this premier leadership organization for girls. Girl Scouting values are the core of who I am today,” Erickson said.
The reigning 2014 Destin Desserts Champion Trey Griffith of The Wine Bar will serve as head judge for this year’s competition. He will be joined by 2013 Destin Desserts Champion Chef Jim Shirah of the Dewey Destin Harbor Side Restaurant, and guest judge Susan Benton, editor of 30A East.
“This year's event will provide something for everyone’s delight,” stated Raslean M. Allen, Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle, Inc. chief executive officer. “Destin Desserts is a fun way for adults to support building girls of courage, confidence, and character.”
Not all of the winning desserts have been elaborate to make, though they all have scored big on flavor.
Griffith won last year’s competition with his Samoas Bon Bon.
“It’s three steps,” he said.
Shirah’s Girl Scout Cookie Pudding with Whiskey Sauce won over the judges the year before. The recipe calls for four to six boxes of Trefoils, two to three boxes of Dulce de Leches and two to three boxes of Samoas, his favorite.
“Growing up, we always stacked them together or made ice cream with it,” Shirah said. “My first real experience cooking with them was for the competition, and I racked my brain. I did toast certain ones to see. ... The Samoas didn’t like the oven.”
The pudding, Shirah said, is simple enough he was able to teach it during a children’s cooking class at the Destin Community Center.
“They loved it and the fact they could make it at home,” he added.
As a judge for the Destin Desserts Chefs’ Competition, Shirah is looking for creativity, presentation and flavor.
“Presentation is important, but in the grand scheme of things, you want it to taste good,” he said. “I like that you have people trying to do new things. I just think people shouldn’t give up and should always look to learn. I learn from different people every day.”
Shirah has been inspired to try other recipes with Girl Scout cookies.
“I’ve actually made like a pecan crusted shrimp, but a Samoas Crusted Shrimp and baked them. They are awesome,” said Shirah, who admitted, “I have seafood at my disposal.”
After getting the Samoas cookies “very cold, almost frozen,” he put them in a food processor. He then added panko breadcrumbs to the cookie crumbs to balance out the sweetness of caramel, coconut and chocolate coating.
“The shrimp I butterflied flat and dipped in flour and egg wash and then put them in the cookie mixture and smashed them on buttered dish,” Shirah said.
After 10 minutes at 450 degrees, the shrimp were ready to serve.
“We just ate it. They didn’t make it off the pan,” he admitted. “We used one box so we couldn’t make more. That’s the only thing; they’re not readily available.”
Girl Scout cookie season began Jan. 1 and runs through March 15. The annual program teaches girls goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.
Two new cookie flavors, Rah-Rah Raisins and Toffee-tastic, join the lineup, while Samoas celebrate their 40th birthday. Other flavors include Thin Mints, lemon Savannah Smiles, peanut butter creme Do-si-dos, peanut butter patties – Tagalongs, and the old-fashioned shortbread Trefoils.
“The Samoas - those are my favorite and I always love the shortbread cookies,” Shirah added. “I also like the peanut butter cookies. If I’m in a sleeve, I limit myself to that sleeve before the box is gone.”
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PUDDING
- 4 to 6 boxes Trefoils
- 2 to 3 boxes Samoas
- 2 to 3 boxes Dulce de Leches
- 6 cup sugar or your choice of sweetener
- ¼ cup cinnamon
- ½ cup pure vanilla
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 2 quarts half & half
- 4 cans evaporated milk
- 4 cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pound whole butter
- Rolos
- Sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. You can adjust the amount of cookies to anything that you like. Have fun! Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (doesn't matter if it's shallow or deep). Break or cut the Trefoils into a variety of sizes, spread evenly onto the baking pan and toast in oven until the cookie starts to crisp. The idea is to use stale bread, baking it just makes it a little tastier. While the Trefoils are crisping in the oven, cut the other cookies, Samoas and Dulce de Leches, into halves and pieces. We are not going to pre-toast these cookies; they will melt! After the cookies are done, take the dish you are going to use to make the pudding and grease well bottom corners and sides all the way up. Mix the cookie pieces gently together.
(I add some Rolos and toasted almond slices, just for fun. You can use anything you like to add that little touch. This is also a great dish to make for others.)
In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, then the sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and canned milk when all is smooth. Gently pour the goo over the pan of cookies, until all the cookies are completely covered. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the butter and place on top of the pudding mix. Grease the side of the foil that is going to be touching the food. Bake and keep covered until the center firm up, about an hour or so.
Whiskey Sauce:
- ½ cup whole butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ gallon whole milk
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla
- Cornstarch slurry
- 1 bottle favorite whiskey or rum
Bring the milk, butter and sugar to a boil in a stockpot. Add some of the whiskey and bring back to a boil. Turn fire down and slowly add the slurry. Continue to whisk until thickened, maybe add more. Just be sure to cook the cornstarch so there is no taste of it. Add the rest of the whiskey and lemon and vanilla. Cook the alcohol out and enjoy.
Makes about 20 servings.
Source: Chef Jim Shirah, Dewey Destin Harborside Restaurant
DESTIN DESSERTS CHEFS’ COMPETITION
- What: Seven are chefs compete for the crown of 2015 Destin Desserts Champion by making original desserts utilizing Girl Scout cookies as the main ingredient
- When: Doors open at 6 p.m.Jan. 30
- Where: The Palms of Destin Resort and Conference Center, 4201 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin
- Tickets: $30 per person; available at all Girl Scout Service Centers or call 1-888-271-8778
- Details: 850-873-3999 or gscfp.org