Description
These homemade Samoas cookies are a delightful copycat of the classic Girl Scouts favorite, featuring a buttery shortbread base topped with toasted sweetened coconut coated in rich caramel, finished with a dark chocolate drizzle. Perfectly crispy and chewy with a balance of textures and flavors, they make a heavenly treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Coconut Topping:
- 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
- 15 ounces store-bought or homemade soft caramels
- 3 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter in three additions, mixing well between each and scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add the milk and vanilla extract, blending until combined and the dough forms large clumps.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two halves, pressing each into compact disks. Wrap each disk securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven and roll dough: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). On a lightly floured surface, roll each chilled disk to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter (or two round cutters) to cut out as many ring cookies as possible. Place the cookies on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until they turn pale golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Toast the coconut: Spread shredded sweetened coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even toasting and prevent burning. Remove and set aside.
- Melt caramel and mix topping: Using a double boiler, melt the caramels with milk and salt, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 of the toasted coconut to combine.
- Assemble the cookies: Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel on top of each cooled cookie, then firmly press a portion of the caramel-coconut mixture on top. Let the cookies sit for 30 minutes to set. If the caramel mixture thickens too much while assembling, rewarm over the double boiler to make it spreadable again.
- Melt and apply chocolate: Melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler or microwave. Dip the bottoms of each cookie into the chocolate and place them on wax paper-lined baking sheets. Use a fork to drizzle chocolate over the tops. Let stand until the chocolate hardens completely.
Notes
- If you lack a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter, use two circular cutters (around 2-inch and 1-inch) or spice jar caps to create the ring shape.
- Let chilled dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes if it’s too firm to roll out.
- Underbake cookies slightly to keep them pale golden and tender.
- Toasted coconut can burn quickly; stir often and watch carefully.
- Spreading cookies with reserved caramel before pressing coconut topping helps it adhere better.
- 8 ounces of dark chocolate chips is approximately 1 1/3 cups.
