Winner: Forget the sandwich cookie, make way for the cookie burger

This winning entry for the Salon Kitchen Challenge -- in which we asked readers to improve on Girl Scout Cookies -- comes to us courtesy of Annie Wang. Check out this week's Challenge here.

Inspired by Girl Scout Thin Mints, Trefoils and Lemonade cookies, I introduce to you:

The GIRL SCOUT COOKIE BURGER

makes over a dozen cookie burgers with some burger patty leftover

Burger Patty (Thin Mints, revised from Bon Appetit):

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 large egg

1. Whisk flour, cocoa powder and salt in medium bowl to blend.
2. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in peppermint extract and vanilla extract. Beat in sugar in 3 additions. Add egg and beat until blended. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended (dough will be sticky).
3. Divide dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as an aid, roll dough into 2-inch-diameter logs. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate dough until well chilled, at least 2 hours. Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap cookie dough logs; roll it out and cut it with a 1-inch cookie cutter. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Burger Bun (Shortbread, revised from Girl Scouts):

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons. baking powder

1. Cream butter and the cup of sugar; add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt and baking powder.
2. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Roll dough into 1/3-inch-thick pieces; cut it with a 1-inch cookie cutter. Bake at 375° for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.

Lettuce (Icing):

½ cup powdered sugar
½ tablespoon milk
2 drops green food coloring

1. Combine all of the ingredients, adding the food coloring last. (To make lemon icing, which contrasts a bit too much with the peppermint in this recipe but is great for icing shortbread cookies separately, add ½ tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest.)

When all three elements are ready, assemble the shortbread cookies as the bun, the thin mints as the burger patty, and the icing as the lettuce. I’d make mock tomatoes to go with the burger theme but tomatoes aren’t in season. Hee-hee.