Girl Scout Samoas Make An Unexpectedly Delicious Shrimp Coating

Though they're designed to be enjoyed as snacks, it isn't uncommon to transform cookies into other dishes. Crushed Oreos for example, are often used in place of traditional pie crust, while Nilla wafers are a main ingredient in banana pudding. As for Girl Scout cookies, most people are happy to eat them straight out of the box, however, you can sometimes find them mixed into limited-edition ice cream flavors at the store or turned into milkshakes at places like Jack in the Box and Dairy Queen.

Because Girl Scout cookies are, well, cookies, it makes sense to incorporate them in other sweet treats. But the truth is, you don't have to limit their applications to just desserts. Stacy's Pita Chips, for example, has come out with a Thin Mint pita chip. 

But perhaps even more unconventional than a cookie-flavored chip is the recipe for "Fried Samoas Shrimp" shared by Little Brownie Bakers, one of the official producers of Girl Scout Cookies.

When Girl Scout cookie season rolls around every year, most people stock up and buy more than a single box. But much like leftover Halloween candy, after you get your fix, you have to find creative ways to use up the rest. 

The organization's National Girl Scout Recipe Contest and the Food Network show "Girl Scout Cookie Championship" have both introduced fans to some of the most popular Girl Scout cookie recipes. However, according to Little Brownie Bakers, Samoas taste just as delicious with shrimp as they do with dessert.

To make Fried Samoas Shrimp, start by chopping up a handful of Samoas. Next, combine them with seasoned bread crumbs, cayenne pepper, and coconut flakes. After dredging the shrimp in flour and egg whites, coat it with the cookie mixture and fry it in hot oil. The result is a sweet and savory dish you'd never guess was made with cookies.

Samoas may be cookies, but the two main ingredients are coconut and caramel — the same two ingredients that make up the coating of coconut shrimp, a Chinese-American classic that you've probably had at a buffet or takeout joint. (Technically, it's caramelized sugar, not caramel, that's used on coconut shrimp, but otherwise the flavor profile still ends up being similar.)

To make coconut shrimp, the process is nearly identical to Little Brownie Bakers' Samoas shrimp. The traditional recipe calls for coating the shrimp in coconut and breadcrumbs, but as you might assume, instead of Samoas, cornstarch is used. The sugar component comes later in the form of a sauce that combines sugar and coconut cream. But given that Samoas are already very sweet, it makes sense that Little Brownie Bakers doesn't recommend adding a sauce on top. 

It won't taste exactly the same, but if you like coconut shrimp, there's a good chance you won't be disappointed by the Girl Scouts version.