Samoas

Two weeks ago our friends gave us some Samoas - you know, the Girl Scout Cookies? Well, I'm not a fan of coconut, but o my! This time, I was completely won over by the gooey chocolate/caramel combo that the coconut actually tasted yummy! 

[When I was 8, I ate 3/4 of a 16oz bag of coconut. You wouldn't like it after that either. Ugh.]

- what I wore Tuesday. don't mind the futon being folded down... -

I kept dreaming about those Samoas long after they were gone.

I could taste them during my breaks at work - oh it was painful.

I decided I would just make them. From scratch. 

Now I know why the make them in a factory. 

If you'd like to try - here goes!

You'll need THIS link.

Begin. 

First things first: Samoas are part shortbread. It doesn't take long, so make them using the following:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
115g (1/2 cup) sugar
250g (2 cups) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Cream together your butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Slowly add this to the butter mixture.

Finally, at low speed, add in the milk and vanilla.

Separate the dough into halves and wrap in plastic or store in tupperware.  Refrigerate until the dough is as firm as a stick of butter.

***I left mine sitting in tupperware for 2 days, because I simply didn't have the time to make the actual topping part until yesterday. I'm so glad I waited. ***

If you've clicked on the link above, you'll have the actual recipe. I'm not trying to cop out, but its a lot of important wording. Read it all! She does a fabulous job of telling you what to do. 

A trick I found: when you're rolling out the cookie batter, do use lots of flour! Its a good dough, so it can take a little bit more of the flour incorporation when rolling out. However, it really does get super sticky as it warms up, which means it'll start to not cooperate. 

Roll out the cookie dough until 1/4" or 1/8" [a little thicker is better for later on down the road], and place the scraps right back in the refrigerator - I just kept using the original tupperware. 

I didn't have a cookie cutter that was circular, so I improvised:

Can you find what I used? haha They're pretty hidden. I used a white circular apparatus that's used for  something else and a mellon-baller. Yah. Right by the rolling pin.

Your house will get messy. 

DO rotate the cookie sheet every 5-6 minutes as you cook. Smart. 

I didn't have parchment paper, so I just used cooking spray, and they came off so smoothly and tasted great!

The aftermath for the "Cookie Making Part:"

Whew. 

Take 2:

Samoas Recipe

For the topping, you'll need:
    •    225g (3 cups) shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
    •    15-oz soft caramels (I recommend making your own if you have the time!)
    •    1/4 tsp salt
    •    3 tbsp milk
    •    8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate

Prepare the dough according to the shortbread recipe.  [see above]

--Again, I'm going to refer you to the link because she went through a lot of work to put her website together, and she did a great job!--

But here are my edited comments:

1. You're going to toast coconut on a cookie sheet for 10-15 mins. I recommend using a cookie sheet that has high sides! Makes it a lot easier to stir/flip. 

2. If you're using hard caramels to melt, she recommends adding a little bit more milk. I missed that the first 5 times around. It really will make your topping go a bit further, and you'll be able to add that entire 3rd cup of coconut. 

3. Also, hard caramels are sold in 14oz bags at my grocer's. I didn't even bother trying to count out an extra ounce. But, as I said in step 2, it will make your topping go a bit further! So feel free to add a few more and melt them down!

4. I used a knife to force the topping onto the cookie - man, that's something you just have to get the knack for. Its resilient stuff.  You can always pop in back in the microwave for a second or two, just so the caramel is a bit more pliable. I didn't. I just fought with it! 

Sorry for the crappy pics - but you have got to bust a freakin move when you make these!!!

5. I only broke one cookie. I suggest using equal force from underneath the cookie [where you're holding it] and from the force of the knife applying the topping - you do have to be a bit crafty in how you get the topping to stay on the cookie instead of on your finger. 

Best part: when the topping hardens, you can handle the entire cookie to dip it in chocolate, so I guess its good that the topping is so resilient.

6. I placed the cookies, at each stage, on wax paper and put back in my fridge to cool/harden. My kitchen was a freakin sauna. Ah! So hot. haha And I was wearing a sweater. uhhh yeah. 

7. Melt chocolate down and dip the cookie into the chocolate - I just held onto the cookie with my hands. MUCH easier than using anything like a tool. Plus, you get the extra chocolate :) 

Let them cool, and do the next batch while they harden. I used "Candy Coating - Chocolate" which is like almond bark. Much easier to use than melting down chocolate chips. 

See my broken cookie? Still worth saving :)

She recommends putting the chocolate in a little baggie, cutting off a corner, and then drizziling it over the cookie. 

Warning: if the chocolate isn't hot enough, it won't drizzle out. 

                if the chocolate is too hot, you'll burn your hand trying to hold the dang bag. Ouch! haha

I cannot keep fighting with the pictures - so this one is sideways! Sorry! haha

Long post, but one I needed to record. Man. These take a long time, but taste soooo good! Let them sit a minute once you pull them out of the fridge, and then enjoy!!! So worth it! [maybe once a year!]