MAKES 1 (9 X 13-INCH) CAKE
Who doesn’t look forward to that time of year when the doorbell rings and your neighborhood Girl Scout asks how many boxes of cookies you would like? At our houses, the Thin Mint variety is the hands-down favorite. Now you can enjoy that flavor all year round.
Nonstick cooking spray
1 (15.25- to 18-ounce) box devil’s food or chocolate cake mix
Eggs, oil, and water as directed on the cake mix box
1 (3.9-ounce) box chocolate instant pudding mix
2 cups whole milk
24 thin chocolate-mint wafer cookies
1 (8-ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
3 or 4 drops green food coloring (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare and bake the cake according to the package directions for a 9 x 13-inch pan. Place the cake on a wire rack and let cool completely.
Poke holes evenly over the baked cake using the handle of a wooden spoon.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding and milk. Finely crush 12 wafer cookies and stir them into the pudding mixture. Pour evenly over the cake and use the tip of a butter knife to spread the pudding to fill all the holes. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a medium bowl, combine the whipped topping, peppermint extract, and food coloring. Stir to blend well. Frost the cake with the whipped topping mixture. Coarsely crush the remaining cookies and sprinkle them over the cake. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
TIP
If you are lucky enough to have Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, they are excellent in this recipe. If not, we use Keebler brand Grasshopper Cookies.