It’s girl scout cookie time of year, and really, who can resist those little muchkins peddling reasonably priced bites of your childhood? This March’s issue of Self magazine published a recipe from chef Jennifer Iserloh that will help you resist the miniature do-gooders packing a few extra pounds onto your waistline.

Caramel Madness

• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut
• 23 reduced-fat Nilla wafers
• Parchment paper
• 12 Chewy caramels
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 oz dark or semisweet chocolate chips (3tbsp)

Heat oven to 300. On a baking sheet, toast coconut, turning every 5 minutes, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment; set wafers on top. In a bowl, microwave caramels and milk on high, stirring often, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. With a spatula, fold coconut into caramel mixture. Spread 1 tbsp mixture onto each wafer. Let cookies cool 5 minutes. Microwave chocolate, stirring often, until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer into a small resealable bag; snip off corner. Drizzle cookies with chocolate; let cool.

52 calories per cookie. Sure beats the 75 of girl scouts.