Homemade Tagalongs

(also check out my homemade samoas)


I did something remarkable, people. Extraordinary, astounding and supernatural. Here's the story:

About a month ago I bought a box of Tagalongs, my favorite, from some girl wearing a bright green jumpsuit. I opened the box in the car I was so excited, but they didn't taste as good as I remembered. Bummed, I broke off a small piece and gave it to Jack. 5 minutes later he had chocolate covering his body and a grin plastered on his face that I had never seen before. The cookies lasted us a long time in the freezer, as we used them only for dessert or to bribe Jack to do something like sit on the potty or take a shower with mommy (it's the only way I stay clean!). When the cookies were all gone, I searched the usual spots for the girls in green... churches, markets, dark alleys... but nary a Girl Scout I found. I was panicked. I hadn't showered in (4) days. Finally Carson says, why don't you make your own? He is a brilliant man person.

So I spent about an hour researching recipes for shortbread cookies, peanut butter fillings, chocolate coatings, etc. And I developed my own. And I did good. I'm sirious people, these taste exactly like the real thing only so, much, BETTER!! You can taste the buttery, crisp shortbread and the sweet/savory peanut butter and the creamy combo of dark and milk chocolate. Nothing tastes processed, or stale, or like it came from a box. I hear angels singing.

Homemade Tagalongs
(Makes approx. 3 dozen)
Printable Recipe

Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Coating:
6 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
6 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil

With an electric mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and salt. Slowly add sifted ingredients to butter/sugar and mix until combined. Shape dough into a disc, cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.


Preheat oven to 350. Take chilled dough, and roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.


Using a small circular cookie cutter (also lightly floured), cut out cookies and place on parchment lined baking sheet.


Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges just begin to turn golden. Let cool.


While cookies are cooling, with mixer combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt.


Once cookies have cooled, scoop approx. 1/2 tsp of filling on top of each cookie.


Using a knife, place the tip in the middle of the peanut butter, and spread down to the side of cookie.


Repeat that motion as you go around the cookie. It should look slightly domed in the middle.


In a double boiler (or place a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bowl), melt all chopped chocolate. Add vegetable oil and stir until you have a glossy chocolate.


Using 2 forks, dip cookie into chocolate. Make sure to flip over and cover cookie completely. Lift cookie out of chocolate with one fork, using the other to scrape excess chocolate off the bottom.


Repeat with each cookie and place them on foil or parchment paper.


Let cookies cool at room temp and then peel off paper or foil.