Feb 24, 2010

Samoas


Samoas - my absolute favorite Girl Scout cookie - and now I can make at home!!!  (And you'll get much more to eat than the what - 9 (!?) that come in the box)  I was so excited when I saw this recipe - they are in a bar form so they are easier to make than cutting and shaping a bunch of circle cookies.  These were unbelievably easy to make and tasted exactly like the authentic Girl Scout cookie.  I think these would be fun to make and have people guess what they are.  Next on my list to try - homemade thin mints! Definitely make these if you need an easy yet impressive dessert to serve.  

Ingredients
Cookie Base
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
Topping
  • 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
  • 12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 tbsp. milk
  • 10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
4. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand.
5. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer [tip: use the back of a measuring cup to press in the dough]. 
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
7. In a dry non stick skillet over medium heat, add the coconut and toast on the stovetop until golden brown [be careful not to burn it!]. Once toasted, set aside and allow to cool.
8. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
9. Put dollops of the coconut and caramel topping all over the cooled shortbread base. Using a small spatula, spread the topping into an even layer. 
10. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife.
11. Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching.
12. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper.
13. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
14. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.


23 comments:

  1. Those look great - just like the girl scout cookie!

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  2. Those look so yummy! Brings back memories of eating Samoas. Too bad hubby hates caramel but I may just have to make them anyway.

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  3. WHOA! Holy Heaven on a plate! These look fantastic!

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  4. These were amazing!!! I love that I get to sample so many of your fabulous creations.

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  5. glad i found this. the last recipe required crushed Samoas. if i had em, why buy em?

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  6. Can you give me a clue as to what a good quality caramel chew is?

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  7. Jamie - I used Werther's (http://www.werthers-original.us/#) caramels. I got them at Walgreens. I've also seen good caramels at the grocery store bulk section - the type you have to unwrap each one individually.

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  8. could you cut the cookies into circles. or roll out the base and cut into circles before baking?

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  9. Anon - yes - you could definitely do that. This version is just simpler.

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  10. I tried the recipe for myself. Somehow I wound up with too much of the cookie base and I either over-toasted the coconut or scorched the caramel. They still turned out alright, though. I'll keep trying; I'm sure the others in my household will be happy to keep eating the trials!

    Thank you so much for posting this recipe :)

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  11. I saw that you said you wanted to make thin mints. My Mom and I make candy every year for Christmas and one of the things we make are Thin Mints. Our recipe is so easy. All it is are Ritz crackers dipped in melted Mint Chocolate. Done!

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  12. So I tried to make these and the topping came out excellent and tasted just like the Girl Scout version, however my cookie base did not turn out well. It literally just crumbled from the bottom and wouldn't hold its form when being cut. By the time I cut them, there wasn't any cookie base to be dipped into the bottom. Does anyone have any suggestions? Did I over whip the batter? Did not using parchment paper do me in? Did my apartment hand mixer set me back. - Major Samoa fan in need of some help. Thanks!

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  13. Anderson - I would definitely try using parchment paper next time. Also - how long did you bake the base for? It could be over or underdone. Sorry it didn't work - but good luck if you try again!

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  14. I just made these and they turned out absolutely delicious! The only change I would make would be to have slightly thinner layers, making them easier to eat. Thanks for the recipe!

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  15. Is there anyway I could replace the chocolate in these with something else? Like butterscotch? I have a daughter who is severely allergic to chocolate but she loves caramel/coconut. Hoping to make these as a treat.

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  16. Katrina - I really can't say for sure - but I don't see why you couldn't try using butterscotch chips. Good luck!

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  17. Any suggestions for Step 3 if I don't have a stand mixer?

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  18. Anon - You can try a hand mixer, if that is all you have.

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  19. Made these yesterday! They were a hit! Thanks!

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  20. I saw the title of this post and I immediately thought, "uh oh, another addiction!" only this time, it's cheaper and more readily available than girl scout cookies! I'm not sure if I should bake them up like crazy or run away with my current waistline in tact. Nice work. :)

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  21. Wow. I found this on pinterest and am hoping I remember to make them when it's not girl scout cookie season and i'm craving some samoas. Mmm.

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  22. I'm going to make these with my Girl Scout Junior troop for our Thanksgiving Bake Sale. They should be great sellers because everyone's been asking when GS cookies will be on sale again. Thanks for the idea!

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