Cookie #74 - Samoas

19% of all Girl Scout cookies sold are Samoas/Caramel deLites making it one of the top selling GS cookies, just behind Thin Mints. 

What is it about these cookies?

The sweet, toasty coconut bathed in caramel.

The soft, buttery cookie.

The smooth dark chocolate.

Whatever it is, they sure are scrumptious. 

When I set out to make both this and the Tagalong/Peanut Butter Patties, I chose to use the same cookie base - a thinly rolled shortbread.  My original thought was to use a sugar cookie, but that would bring too much sweetness to the party.  The topping for both cookies is already sugar-laden, I didn't want the cookie to be overwhelmingly sweet. 

For this post, I'll concentrate on how I did the Samoas:

Samoas/Caramel deLites

Cookie Base:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1 1/2 cups sweetened flake coconut
1-14 oz bag caramels
1 tbsp milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp shortening

Beat butter and sugar together until smooth.  Mix in vanilla.  Sift together flour and salt.  Add slowly to butter mixture until well combined.  Flatten dough into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll chilled dough out on a well floured surface to about 1/4" thick.  Cut out dough with a 2" circle cookie cutter.  Transfer circles to parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are just lightly golden.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping.

Place coconut in a large frying pan and place over low heat.  Keep stirring the coconut - DON'T WALK AWAY!!  Don't think: "Hey - lemme pour myself a glass of Pinot while this coconut is toasting."  Don't do it!  It will burn and then you will have to make your poor husband/wife/significant other, who isn't 2 glasses into a bottle,run to the grocery store to get another bag of coconut because you burned this one.  Don't ask me how I know...just don't do it.
So, keep stirring the coconut until it is fragrant and toasted.  Immediately remove from the pan to a bowl.  Don't leave it in the hot pan or it will burn and burnt coconut is stinky. 
Place unwrapped caramels in a microwave safe bowl with the milk.  Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well in between, until caramels are fully melted and smooth.  Stir coconut into the caramel until well combined.

Drop one tablespoon full of the coconut caramel mixture onto each cookie.  With moistened fingers, flatten the caramel mixture onto each cookie until the mixture covers the cookie.  Don't flatten it too much, you want it to still look a little fluffy.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place an empty cookie sheet in the freezer.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on half power at 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Be sure to stir well in between so as not to scorch the chocolate. 

Remove cookie sheet from the freezer.  One at a time, dip the bottom of each cookie into the chocolate and place on cold cookie sheet.  This will help you achieve nice, smooth bottoms and half the chocolate set so they don't slide all over.  Once all the cookies are dipped, place the remaining melted chocolate in a zip top bag.  Snip the corner of the bag, just a bit, and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies.  Put the cookies into the fridge to fully set. 

Enjoy!  With or without the Pinot. 

Cookie #64 - Utah Salted Caramel

Despite the fact that Utah's state snack is Jell-O,

I knew I wanted to do a salted caramel cookie to represent the state. 

The result is an ooey-gooey, sticky, sweet cookie with just a hint of salt. 

There were a few things I'd do differently with this cookie.

First of all, I'd cut back the amount of sugar I used in the crust. 

The caramel and chocolate topping are enough sweet.

Second, I wouldn't use so much milk to thin down the caramel.  It was a bit runny.

Third, I would make a ganache as the chocolate topping rather than just melted chocolate.  The chocolate was too hard causing it to shatter when cutting.  A ganache would solve this problem and probably be a better texture to complement the caramel. 

Below is the recipe as I made it without the adjustments mentioned above.

Utah Salted Caramel Squares

Cookie base:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Caramel layer:

2 cups caramels*

4 tablespoons of milk

Chocolate layer:

2 cups chocolate chips

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar together.  Mix in vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add in small batches to butter & egg mixture.

Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 13x9" pan.

Dock the dough by pricking with a fork all over the dough.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden. 

Melt caramels and milk in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring well in between.  It will seem like the caramels and milk will never come together, but just keep stirring - they'll cooperate.  Once melted and smooth, pour over the cookie crust and transfer to the fridge to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Melt chocolate and shortening in the microwave on half-power at 30 second intervals, stirring well in between.  Be careful not to scorch the chocolate.  You can also do this in a double boiler if you'd like, but if you're careful, you can do it in the microwave.

Pour melted chocolate over the caramel and spread evenly.

Sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate.  Once chocolate has hardened, cut carefully into squares.

*I used Kraft Caramel Bits.  They're little chips of caramel and you don't have the hassle of unwrapping all those caramels.