Watch out Girl Scouts! Samoa Bites!!

I love Samoa cookies and I wanted a ‘candy like’ version.  And poof!!  A Coconut shortbread, topped with coconut caramel and covered with a 50/50 mix of milk and dark chocolate.  So yummy!!  For some reason, when I add toasted sweetened coconut to the caramel, it lo

ses its chew.  I think it is the sugar on the coconut that causes the caramel to crystallize and turn a little sugary.  So, I tried it with unsweetened coconut and success!!

Here is what you need:

·         Coconut Shortbread

o   1/2 cup (softened, but not melted) butter (I hate unsalted butter.  I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t taste right to me.  Weirdo!)

o   1/4 cup White granulated sugar

o   1 cups All purpose Flour

o   1/8 teaspoon baking powder

o   1/4 teaspoon salt

o   1 tablespoons milk

o   1 teaspoon coconut extract

·         Caramel

o   Follow the recipe here.  Add ½ -1 cup of toasted coconut right before you pour it out.

o   1 cup unsweetened coconut

·         Chocolate

o   I like a 50/50 combo of milk and dark chocolate.  So, to cover a batch, I need a little less than a 16 oz bag of both the dark and light chocolate melts.

·         Extra toasted coconut for the top (I like to use the sweetened coconut for the topping, but the unsweetened works too.)

Tools you need:

·         Mixer for the cookies (or by hand if you are just plain awesome!)

·         Baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and a cookie cutter (or a silicone mold.  I love them so much!  If you use a 40 or 50% off coupon at Michael’s or Joann’s, they are only $5!)

·         3 QUART pan

·         Candy thermometer

·         Baking sheet (to toast coconut)

·         Whisk and wooden spoon

Steps:

1.       The cookies!  

a.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

b.      Place the softened butter and sugar and cream together until they are light and fluffy.

c.       Add the flour, salt and baking powder.  Do you sift?  I don’t.  Never have.  I am just lazy I guess.  I did add the flour a ½ cup at a time.

d.      Add the milk and coconut extract.  Scrape down the sides and make sure everything is combined.

e.      Form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge for an hour at least. 

f.        Now, to bake.  If you are using a silicone mold (please do!), press the cookie dough into the bottom of each mold.  I went about ¼ inch thick.  If not, you can cut them with a cookie cutter.  The step to add the caramel will be harder, but still tasty.

g.       Bake for 10-15 minutes.  You want them to be a nice, light golden brown.

h.      Allow to cool

2.       The Coconut!

a.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  This step is done if you are making the cookies.

b.      Place the coconut on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.  It should be in a nice single layer.

c.       Bake for 10 minutes.  I stir mine every two minutes.  The edges toast faster than the middle. 

d.      Allow to cool.

3.       The caramel!

a.       Follow this recipe here.  I love it so much.  Just before you pour out your caramel into the molds or on the cookies, add ½ to 1 cup of toasted coconut.  I like a lot of coconut, but you may want less. 

b.      If you don’t want to make your own caramel, melt 15 ounces of caramels and 1-2 tablespoons of milk.  I like to use the microwave.  Place the caramels and 1 tablespoon of milk in a microwave safe bowl.   Heat for 30 seconds and stir.  Keep repeating until melted.  If it is too thick, add another tablespoon of milk.  Then stir in ½ to 1 cup of the toasted coconut.

4.       Assemble!

a.       Take the coconut caramels and pour over the molds or cookies.  Try to get the caramel to stay on top as much as possible.  This is why the molds rock!

b.      Allow the caramels to set and cool.  

c.       Pop them out of the molds and dip in chocolate.  I used 12 oz of milk and 12 oz of dark chocolate.  For tips on how to melt the chocolate, go here.

d.      Dip them in the chocolate.  I covered them completely. 

e.      Sprinkle with coconut and you are done!!

Happy Eating!!

I love Samoa cookies and I wanted a ‘candy like’ version.  And poof!!  A Coconut shortbread, topped with coconut caramel and covered with a 50/50 mix of milk and dark chocolate.  So yummy!!  For some reason, when I add toasted sweetened coconut to the caramel, it lo

ses its chew.  I think it is the sugar on the coconut that causes the caramel to crystallize and turn a little sugary.  So, I tried it with unsweetened coconut and success!!

Here is what you need:

·         Coconut Shortbread

o   1/2 cup (softened, but not melted) butter (I hate unsalted butter.  I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t taste right to me.  Weirdo!)

o   1/4 cup White granulated sugar

o   1 cups All purpose Flour

o   1/8 teaspoon baking powder

o   1/4 teaspoon salt

o   1 tablespoons milk

o   1 teaspoon coconut extract

·         Caramel

o   Follow the recipe here.  Add ½ -1 cup of toasted coconut right before you pour it out.

o   1 cup unsweetened coconut

·         Chocolate

o   I like a 50/50 combo of milk and dark chocolate.  So, to cover a batch, I need a little less than a 16 oz bag of both the dark and light chocolate melts.

·         Extra toasted coconut for the top (I like to use the sweetened coconut for the topping, but the unsweetened works too.)

Tools you need:

·         Mixer for the cookies (or by hand if you are just plain awesome!)

·         Baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and a cookie cutter (or a silicone mold.  I love them so much!  If you use a 40 or 50% off coupon at Michael’s or Joann’s, they are only $5!)

·         3 QUART pan

·         Candy thermometer

·         Baking sheet (to toast coconut)

·         Whisk and wooden spoon

Steps:

1.       The cookies!  

a.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

b.      Place the softened butter and sugar and cream together until they are light and fluffy.

c.       Add the flour, salt and baking powder.  Do you sift?  I don’t.  Never have.  I am just lazy I guess.  I did add the flour a ½ cup at a time.

d.      Add the milk and coconut extract.  Scrape down the sides and make sure everything is combined.

e.      Form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge for an hour at least. 

f.        Now, to bake.  If you are using a silicone mold (please do!), press the cookie dough into the bottom of each mold.  I went about ¼ inch thick.  If not, you can cut them with a cookie cutter.  The step to add the caramel will be harder, but still tasty.

g.       Bake for 10-15 minutes.  You want them to be a nice, light golden brown.

h.      Allow to cool

2.       The Coconut!

a.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  This step is done if you are making the cookies.

b.      Place the coconut on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.  It should be in a nice single layer.

c.       Bake for 10 minutes.  I stir mine every two minutes.  The edges toast faster than the middle. 

d.      Allow to cool.

3.       The caramel!

a.       Follow this recipe here.  I love it so much.  Just before you pour out your caramel into the molds or on the cookies, add ½ to 1 cup of toasted coconut.  I like a lot of coconut, but you may want less. 

b.      If you don’t want to make your own caramel, melt 15 ounces of caramels and 1-2 tablespoons of milk.  I like to use the microwave.  Place the caramels and 1 tablespoon of milk in a microwave safe bowl.   Heat for 30 seconds and stir.  Keep repeating until melted.  If it is too thick, add another tablespoon of milk.  Then stir in ½ to 1 cup of the toasted coconut.

4.       Assemble!

a.       Take the coconut caramels and pour over the molds or cookies.  Try to get the caramel to stay on top as much as possible.  This is why the molds rock!

b.      Allow the caramels to set and cool.  

c.       Pop them out of the molds and dip in chocolate.  I used 12 oz of milk and 12 oz of dark chocolate.  For tips on how to melt the chocolate, go here.

d.      Dip them in the chocolate.  I covered them completely. 

e.      Sprinkle with coconut and you are done!!

Happy Eating!!

Giant ‘Girl Scout’ like Samoa Cookies!! You can have them all year round!!

I love Samoas. But, they are only around once a year and are pretty expensive. So, I made some. Mine are MUCH BIGGER than the Girl Scout version! But, taste great.
What a Samoa is: A shortbread cookie, covered in toasted coconut and caramel. Then the bottom is dipped in chocolate and more chocolate is drizzled on the top. Yummy!!
For the cookie, I used my William-Sonoma Cookie Press and recipe for Vanilla Cookies found in the box. You could buy some shortbread cookies if you are short on time or patience.

William-Sonoma Vanilla Cookies
· 2 sticks on softened unsalted butter (I used salted. It’s all I had.)
· 1 cup White Sugar
· 1 egg
· 2 ½ tsp. Vanilla extract
· ½ tsp Salt
· 2 ½ cups of Sifted All purpose flour

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2) In a bowl, combine butter and sugar. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy.
3) Add the egg, vanilla and salt. Beat until well mixed.
4) Add in Flour, a little at a time and mix until just blended.
5) Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.
 
I used my Cookie press, but you could use a cookie cutter or make snakes and shape them into a wreath. Make sure it’s about ¼ inch thick when you put them in the oven.

I like the wreaths because they are similar to the original. But, the disks were a lot easier to cover.
Next, the Caramel!! You could use 2 bags of good store bought caramel. I used my caramel recipe found here.
Now, to toast the coconut. I used 2 cups of sweetened coconut. I spread it on a pan and placed it in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. You will need to stir it every minute or so. Don’t wait until it is brown to remove it from the oven. It will continue to brown a bit while it’s cooling.

To make the caramel soft and spreadable, I combine the caramel and 4 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk in a microwave safe bowl and heated it up in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval. If your caramels are hard, you may need more evaporated milk. I would start with 3 tablespoons and add more if you need it. You want it to be thin enough to spread but too thick to pour (about the consistency of frosting).

You may think it is never going to mix together. Be patience and it will. It took me 4 or 5 intervals to get the mixture nice and smooth.
Once the caramel is warm and spreadable; stir in your two cups of toasted coconut. Now, you are ready to ‘frost’ your cookies! I placed a bit on the peaks of the cookies and allowed the caramel to ooze down the sides.

After the caramel has hardened (it’s still soft but workable), I got my chocolate ready. You could use milk chocolate, dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate. I did a taste test with my family and we found we like a 50-50 mixture of dark chocolate and milk chocolate.
Once I melted the chocolate (I needed 8 oz of milk and 8 oz of dark) in the microwave (50% power for 30 second intervals. Stirring in between each interval), I dipped the bottoms in to the chocolate and placed the cookie on a Silpat, chocolate side down. If you are using wax paper, I would place the cookies chocolate side up and allow to dry. After they are all face up, I used a Ziploc bag, with the corner cut off) to drizzle more chocolate on the top.

Enjoy!! They rock!!

I love Samoas. But, they are only around once a year and are pretty expensive. So, I made some. Mine are MUCH BIGGER than the Girl Scout version! But, taste great.
What a Samoa is: A shortbread cookie, covered in toasted coconut and caramel. Then the bottom is dipped in chocolate and more chocolate is drizzled on the top. Yummy!!
For the cookie, I used my William-Sonoma Cookie Press and recipe for Vanilla Cookies found in the box. You could buy some shortbread cookies if you are short on time or patience.

William-Sonoma Vanilla Cookies
· 2 sticks on softened unsalted butter (I used salted. It’s all I had.)
· 1 cup White Sugar
· 1 egg
· 2 ½ tsp. Vanilla extract
· ½ tsp Salt
· 2 ½ cups of Sifted All purpose flour

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2) In a bowl, combine butter and sugar. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy.
3) Add the egg, vanilla and salt. Beat until well mixed.
4) Add in Flour, a little at a time and mix until just blended.
5) Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.
 
I used my Cookie press, but you could use a cookie cutter or make snakes and shape them into a wreath. Make sure it’s about ¼ inch thick when you put them in the oven.

I like the wreaths because they are similar to the original. But, the disks were a lot easier to cover.
Next, the Caramel!! You could use 2 bags of good store bought caramel. I used my caramel recipe found here.
Now, to toast the coconut. I used 2 cups of sweetened coconut. I spread it on a pan and placed it in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. You will need to stir it every minute or so. Don’t wait until it is brown to remove it from the oven. It will continue to brown a bit while it’s cooling.

To make the caramel soft and spreadable, I combine the caramel and 4 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk in a microwave safe bowl and heated it up in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval. If your caramels are hard, you may need more evaporated milk. I would start with 3 tablespoons and add more if you need it. You want it to be thin enough to spread but too thick to pour (about the consistency of frosting).

You may think it is never going to mix together. Be patience and it will. It took me 4 or 5 intervals to get the mixture nice and smooth.
Once the caramel is warm and spreadable; stir in your two cups of toasted coconut. Now, you are ready to ‘frost’ your cookies! I placed a bit on the peaks of the cookies and allowed the caramel to ooze down the sides.

After the caramel has hardened (it’s still soft but workable), I got my chocolate ready. You could use milk chocolate, dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate. I did a taste test with my family and we found we like a 50-50 mixture of dark chocolate and milk chocolate.
Once I melted the chocolate (I needed 8 oz of milk and 8 oz of dark) in the microwave (50% power for 30 second intervals. Stirring in between each interval), I dipped the bottoms in to the chocolate and placed the cookie on a Silpat, chocolate side down. If you are using wax paper, I would place the cookies chocolate side up and allow to dry. After they are all face up, I used a Ziploc bag, with the corner cut off) to drizzle more chocolate on the top.

Enjoy!! They rock!!