Homemade Samoas Girl Scout CookiesSamoas (or Caramel Delites) are by far my FAVORITE Girl Scout cookie...probably even my favorite cookie, period. I seriously think I could catch a case over these things, that's just how serious my addiction is. I drive slowly by Wal-mart lobbies religiously in the spring-time hoping to spot one of those little adorable green pushers selling their cookie crack. And to think all this time a knock-off Samoas Girl Scout cookie recipe was right at my fingertips.
I have tried several recipes for homemade samoas only to be left disappointed but yall...... Nicole from over there at http://www.bakingbites.com/ came to the rescue!!!! OMG these samoa cookies are the most authentic recipe I've tasted so far and just what I need to carry me through the winter without having to detox. My husband HATES coconut with a passion but gave me two thumbs up on these and said they tasted way better than the original to him.
I have tried several recipes for homemade samoas only to be left disappointed but yall...... Nicole from over there at http://www.bakingbites.com/ came to the rescue!!!! OMG these samoa cookies are the most authentic recipe I've tasted so far and just what I need to carry me through the winter without having to detox. My husband HATES coconut with a passion but gave me two thumbs up on these and said they tasted way better than the original to him.
Now I will say, these bad boys take a long time to make. Ugggh!! The recipe is simple but they have a lot of steps. I've simplified a few of the steps but otherwise followed http://www.bakingbites.com/ recipe. I would suggest making these cookies on a lazy weekend when you aren't in a hurry like I was.
Thank you so much Nicole!!! You have no idea how much money you have saved me! I will never buy those overprice, preservative packed Girl Scout Samoas cookies again!!......Ok that last sentence was complete bs because I know how lazy I can get when it comes to baking and need a quick fix : )
Ingredients:
Vanilla Shortbread Cookie
1 c. butter (softened)
1/2 c. sugar
2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. vanilla extract
Caramel Topping
3 c. shredded sweet coconut
11 oz. bag of caramel morsels
pinch of salt
3 T milk
Chocolate Drizzle & Bottom Coating
1-1/2 c. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 T. vegetable oil (I prefer Canola oil)
Lets Start By Making The Vanilla Shortbread Cookie
Preheat oven to 350.
Step 1.) In a large bowl add 1 c. of softened butter & 1/2 c. of sugar. Mix until creamed.
Step 2.) Mix in the the 2 c. of flour, 1/4 t. of baking powder & salt.
Stir to combine and then stir in the 3/4 t. of vanilla extract
You should now have a nice bowl of soft cookie dough! Line a baking sheet with foil. It's time to form the cookies! Add a little flour to your hands if the dough is too sticky to work with.
Stir to combine and then stir in the 3/4 t. of vanilla extract
You should now have a nice bowl of soft cookie dough! Line a baking sheet with foil. It's time to form the cookies! Add a little flour to your hands if the dough is too sticky to work with.
Step 3.) Take a small portion of dough (about a quarter size) and form into a ball. Place it on the cookie sheet and press down slightly to flatten it a bit until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Place your finger into the middle of the cookie and move it around slowly in a circular motion to create the hole.
*Trial & Error Note* Be sure to make your cookies about half the size you want them to be when they are done. I shaped my cookie dough into the actual size I wanted them to be when done and they ended up being huge (about 3 1/2 inches when done). I forgot all about the fact that the cookies will expand when baking. Also be sure to make your hole is really big. My holes nearly closed up during the baking process and I yanked them out of the oven and expanded them some more with a wooden spoon handle. This resulted in a flatter cookie. So be sure your holes are bigger than mine in the picture and if they do start to close while baking just let them close.
Step 4.) Continue until all the dough is gone. Place the cookies in the oven for about 12-14 minutes or until lightly brown on the bottom. (It took mine about 16 minutes but I think that was because they were so big)
When the cookies are done let them sit in the baking pan for a few minutes and then place them into the freezer to harden up. Why? Well homemade shortbread cookies are delicate and will simply melt in your mouth. Yummy! But for this recipe we need them to be nice and firm. The freezer work wonders for crisping up these cookies quickly. You can use a spatula to loosen them from the foil once they are cold but be sure to put them back in the freezer.
Time to Toast the Coconut!
Preheat your oven to 300. It shouldn't take your oven long to cool down since you just had it on for the cookies.
Step 1.) Line a pan with foil and spread out 3 cups of coconut in an even layer.
Step 2.) Place the coconut into the oven for 20 minutes. Turning every 5 minutes until coconut is lightly toasted and golden. 
Now Let's Make the Chocolate So We Can Dip The Cookies!
Step 1.) In a bowl melt 1-1/2 c. of chocolate morsels and 1. T oil in the microwave. Stir every minute until chocolate is completely melted. Melting time will vary, depending on your microwave and the kind of chocolate you use.
While your chocolate is melting take your cookies out of the freezer. Line a pan with parchment paper.
Step 2.) Spread the chocolate with a butter knife onto the bottom of your cookies and place front side down on the cookie sheet. Be sure to save some of the chocolate to drizzle over the cookies! Place back into the freezer to quickly firm up the chocolate.
The way I did this was to spoon on the chocolate and spread it around with my finger because my cookies where so thin and I was scared I would break them if handle them too much. Ahh I miss finger painting.
Now For the Caramel Mixture
(I promise this recipe is worth the gazillion steps)
Step 1.) In a large bowl microwave 11 oz of caramel morsels, 3 T. milk, & a pinch of salt until melted. Be sure to stir every minute or so. You can also add in a little oil if needed. I added in a few drops.
Step 2.) When caramel is melted, stir in the toasted coconut until well combined.
Step 3.) Remove the cookies from the freezer. The chocolate should be firm now. Turn them right side up and spoon on the caramel mixture. I used my fingers to better arrange the caramel mixture onto the cookies.
Pop them back into the freezer to firm up and cool off the caramel a bit. ( about 5-10 minutes)Step 3.) When caramel mixture is cooled and firm drizzle on the chocolate. I placed the rest of the chocolate into a sandwich bag & poked a tiny hole into the corner to pipe it on. Place back into the freezer to quickly firm up the chocolate drizzle
Can you tell I was in a hurry to eat these things!?
Step 4.) Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Why? Well the first day I made these I just kept them in a container out on the counter. This produced a more softer cookie, the caramel was very chewy & the chocolate had started to melt on the bottom from being in my hot kitchen. (that still didn't keep me from eating them though lol) I placed them in the refrigerator and the texture was PERFECT! The cookie part was crisp, the chocolate on the bottom was hard & the caramel was slightly firmed. DELISH!!
FINALLY WE ARE DONE!!!!
Now go have yourself a cookie or two with a tall glass of milk! I know I am.
Thanks again Nicole!!!
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