Monday, March 31, 2025

Thin Mint Chocolate Muffins

Made with the iconic Girl Scout cookies, these Thin Mint chocolate muffins are sweet and chocolatey with a little crunch for fun. 

Food Lust People Love: Made with the iconic Girl Scout cookies, these Thin Mint chocolate muffins are sweet and chocolatey with a little crunch for fun.

The idea for these muffins popped into my head in the middle of the night unbidden. I wasn’t even thinking about muffins! What if, my brain said, you put a thin mint at the bottom of the silicone muffin cups and spooned chocolate batter in on top? Intriguing idea, I replied. 

So the first thing I did the next morning was to open the box of Thin Mints I had just bought from the cutest little scout outside my local grocery store the day before, to check if one would fit nicely in the bottom of my silicone muffin cups. It did! 

A little backstory. My very first job out of university was at the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council, in development (read: fundraising) which included the annual cookie sale. In my first year, we joined together with Houston area chefs who created recipes using the cookies which were then served at a party for donors. It was a lot of fun and raised substantial funds. Ever since, when I see Girl Scout cookies, I can’t help but think of creative ways to use/eat them. 

Thin Mint Chocolate Muffins

I highly recommend using silicone baking cups for this recipe so that the Thin Mints don’t stick to your pan. If you can’t find Thin Mints, Keebler makes one called Grasshopper Cookies (or Fudge Mint Delights in some countries) which would work. Walmart brand Fudge Mint Cookies are also very similar.

Ingredients for 12 muffins
3/4 cup or 180ml milk
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 3/4 cups or 220g flour
3/4 cup, packed, or 150g dark brown sugar
1/2 cup or 40g natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup or 80ml canola or other light oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 Thin Mint cookies for the batter and topping
12 Thin Mint cookies for lining the silicone baking cups

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. 

Roughly chop the 8 Thin Mints, setting aside about 1/3 for topping. 


Add the two teaspoons of vinegar to the milk in a measuring cup. Stir and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.


In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla, along with the slightly curdled looking milk/vinegar mixture.


Add the larger pile of chopped cookies to the dry ingredients.


Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until just combined. There may still be some flour showing and that’s fine.


Put one Thin Mint at the bottom of each silicone muffin cup, rounded side up. 


Use a scoop or large spoon to fill the prepared muffin cups. They are going to be pretty full. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining chopped cookies.


Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took only 20 minutes. You do not want to over bake these and dry them out.


Put the muffin pan on a wire rack to cool for about five minutes.

Remove the muffins from the pan and continue to cool on the wire rack. 

Food Lust People Love: Made with the iconic Girl Scout cookies, these Thin Mint chocolate muffins are sweet and chocolatey with a little crunch for fun.

Carefully remove the silicone muffin cups. Here's one upside down! 

Food Lust People Love: Made with the iconic Girl Scout cookies, these Thin Mint chocolate muffins are sweet and chocolatey with a little crunch for fun.

Enjoy the chocolate muffins with crunchy bottoms! 

Food Lust People Love: Made with the iconic Girl Scout cookies, these Thin Mint chocolate muffins are sweet and chocolatey with a little crunch for fun.

It’s the last Monday of the month, which means it time for Muffin Monday! Check out the lovely recipe links below.
#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.



Pin these Thin Mint Chocolate Muffins!

Food Lust People Love: Made with the iconic Girl Scout cookies, these Thin Mint chocolate muffins are sweet and chocolatey with a little crunch for fun.

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Sunday, March 30, 2025

Corned Beef and Gruyère Toasties

These corned beef and Gruyere toasties are made with thinly sliced corned beef and rich, melty Gruyere in an electric toastie machine which seals the flavor in! 

Food Lust People Love: These corned beef and Gruyere toasties are made with thinly sliced corned beef and rich, melty Gruyere in an electric toastie machine which seals the flavor in!

Here’s a tiny bit of history for you. The very first toasted sandwich machine was patented in the United States way back in 1925 so this year we celebrate its centennial birthday. Truth be told though, it didn’t really take off in popularity until 1974 when Breville introduced their Snack'n'Sandwich Toaster in Australia. 

I grew up eating regular grilled cheese sandwiches, made on a griddle at home but we also had a pie iron aka sandwich press for use over a campfire that made something very similar to modern electric toastie makers. It wasn’t until I was fully a grown up with children(!) when I saw my first electric toastie machine. 

When our younger daughter was still at home, before her university days, ours got regular use. Nowadays, not so much. That’s why when I heard that the theme for today’s Sunday FunDay was going to be grilled cheese sandwiches, I decided it was time to dust it off and see if it still worked. 

I had to hunt for it in the back of the pantry! When I did find it, I discovered that it didn’t have the toastie plates in – it has three sets of interchangeable plates: panini press, waffle iron and toastie – so then I had go looking for the spare plates. I’m pleased to tell you that now all are together in a safe place. 

Corned Beef and Gruyère Toasties

Could you just use a regular griddle or frying pan and make these sandwiches on the stovetop? Of course! The edges won’t be sealed up nicely but they will still taste just as good. For this recipe, I use a brisket roast that I home cured and cooked. You can substitute store-bought corned beef but, please, from the deli counter, not the tinned stuff. 

Ingredients for two toasties
4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
2-3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 1/2 oz or 70g corn beef roast, thinly sliced
1 1/4 oz or 36g Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
1 – 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard


Optional for serving:
pickles (I like pickled okra)
potato chips

Method
Thickly butter one side of the slices of bread. 


Lay them butter side down on a piece of cling film and spread the mustard on the other side.  (I actually put the buttered sides together at first but then realized I'd have to turn it all over to spread mustard on the other side, so do as I say, not as I did.)


Layer your corned beef and Gruyère slices so that they overlap and alternate on two of the slices. Make a second layer. 


Close the sandwiches by putting the other two slices mustard side down on the beef and cheese. 


Heat your toastie maker, following the instructions in your manual. Mine has a green light when it’s ready to make a toastie. 

Place your sandwiches in the toastie maker.


Close the lid firmly and lock the clasp.


My toastie maker light turns red at this point and will turn green again when the toastie is ready. 


Remove the toasties from the machine and cut them in half at the pressed line. 

Food Lust People Love: These corned beef and Gruyere toasties are made with thinly sliced corned beef and rich, melty Gruyere in an electric toastie machine which seals the flavor in!

Serve with pickles and potatoes chips, if desired. 

Food Lust People Love: These corned beef and Gruyere toasties are made with thinly sliced corned beef and rich, melty Gruyere in an electric toastie machine which seals the flavor in!

Enjoy! 

As I mentioned above, today is Sunday FunDay and our theme is a celebration of National Grill Cheese Month. Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Culinary Cam. Check out all the grilled cheese sandwich links below. 

 
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.



Pin these Corned Beef and Gruyère Toasties! 

Food Lust People Love: These corned beef and Gruyere toasties are made with thinly sliced corned beef and rich, melty Gruyere in an electric toastie machine which seals the flavor in!
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Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Extra Herby Gremolata

Gremolata is usually made with just three main ingredients: flat-leaf parsley, fresh garlic, and lemon zest. This extra herby gremolata includes basil as well! 

Food Lust People Love: Gremolata is usually made with just three main ingredients: flat-leaf parsley, fresh garlic, and lemon zest. This extra herby gremolata includes basil as well!

I love this stuff! It adds so much pep and flavor to anything it’s added to. This small batch extra herby gremolata is perfect spooned on top of pan-fried fish and chicken breasts. Or as an accompaniment to grilled beef and lamb.

If you’ve got fresh herbs growing in your garden, feel free to add more kinds and/or different herbs altogether. I give you permission to still call it gremolata because, truly, who cares as long as it tastes great! You might recall I shared one last year made with fresh asparagus. So good! 

This time around I actually tossed this with some hot boiled new potatoes for a whole new side dish. I just checked back through my photos in case I had a photo of that but, sadly, no. Trust me, it was good. 

Extra Herby Gremolata

Any very tender stems can be left on the herbs, otherwise, use only the leaves. As mentioned above, mix and match your favorite herbs. 

Ingredients
1/2 lemon (for zest and juice)
1 clove garlic
Small bunch basil leaves, about 1/8 cup, tightly packed, or 10g
Small bunch parsley, about 1/8 cup, tightly packed, or 10g
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Few good grinds black pepper

Method
Rinse the leaves well with cool water and use a salad spinner to dry them well.


Peel, crush then mince the garlic.  


Finely mince the herbs. 


Grate the lemon zest into a small bowl. 


Add the minced garlic and herbs to the lemon zest along with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir well. 


Set aside for about 30-45 minutes to give the flavors time to blend. If not using till much later, refrigerate until ready to use. This can easily be made a day ahead. 

Food Lust People Love: Gremolata is usually made with just three main ingredients: flat-leaf parsley, fresh garlic, and lemon zest. This extra herby gremolata includes basil as well!

Enjoy! 


Welcome to the 7th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2025, brought to you by the letter G. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the G recipes below:





Pin this Extra Herby Gremolata!

Food Lust People Love: Gremolata is usually made with just three main ingredients: flat-leaf parsley, fresh garlic, and lemon zest. This extra herby gremolata includes basil as well!

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