Homemade Samoas Girl Scout Cookies
Samoas (or Caramel Delites) is 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.
Samoas Caramel Delights Girl Scout Cookie Recipe

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 baking bites 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 : )

Homemade Girl Scout Samoas Cookies
Recipe Type: cookies
Author: Divas Can Cook
Ingredients
  • VANILLA SHORTBREAD COOKIE RECIPE
  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • CARAMEL TOPPING RECIPE
  • 3 cups shredded sweet coconut
  • 11 oz. bag of caramel morsels
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 Tablespoons milk
  • CHOCOLATE COATING RECIPE
  • 1-1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (I prefer Canola oil)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. F.
  2. In a large bowl add softened butter & sugar. Mix until creamed.
  3. Mix in the flour, baking powder & salt. Stir to combine and then stir in the vanilla extract you should now have a nice bowl of soft cookie dough!
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. Add a little flour to your hands if the dough is too sticky to work with and take a small portion of dough (about a quarter size) and form into a ball.
  6. 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.
  7. **see note**
  8. 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)
  9. 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.
  10. To toast the coconut, preheat your oven to 300. F.
  11. Line a pan with parchment paper and spread coconut in an even layer.
  12. Place the coconut into the oven for 20 minutes. Turning every 5 minutes until coconut is lightly toasted and golden. Set aside.
  13. To make the chocolate, in a bowl combine chocolate morsels and oil in a microwave-safe bowl.
  14. Microwave while stirring every few seconds until chocolate is completely melted. Melting time will vary, depending on your microwave and the kind of chocolate you use.
  15. Remove cookies from freezer and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  16. Spread the chocolate with a butter knife onto the bottom of your cookies and place top 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.
  17. While chocolate is hardening microwave caramel morsels, milk, & a pinch of salt until melted. Be sure to stir every few seconds or so. You can also add in a little oil if needed. I added in a few drops.
  18. When caramel is melted, stir in the toasted coconut until well combined
  19. 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.
  20. Pop them back into the freezer to firm up and cool off the caramel a bit. ( about 5-10 minutes)
  21. 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
  22. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.