Samoas Cookies

Shortbread cookie:

½ cup butter, room temp

¼ tsp salt

⅓ cup sugar

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 Tbsp whole milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

¼ tsp baking soda

Coconut layer:

3 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut flakes

15 oz. caramels

2-3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Chocolate Drizzle:

10 oz. bag Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers

1 tsp. oil (canola or veg.)

Shortbread cookie:

Cream the butter, both sugars, milk, vanilla extract & salt in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, for 2-4 min.

Add the flour and baking soda on low speed just until the dough comes together. 

Bring the dough together into a disk. Place on a sheet of parchment paper, place another sheet of parchment on top and roll out the dough between the parchment about ¼ inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet, and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Toast the coconut. Pour the coconut onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven to toast for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Once toasted, remove to a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool. You want to move it to another sheet pan so the residual heat doesn’t continue to toast the coconut.

Once the cookie dough has chilled, peel back the top piece of parchment. Cut out the cookies using a 2-inch donut-shaped cookie cutter.

Place the cut-out cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to become golden. Cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then place on a wire cooling rack. 

Rework the scraps, re-roll between the parchment, and chill again until firm enough to make more cutouts. You should be able to yield 22-25 cookies.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the heavy cream. Melt in the microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Add a touch more heavy cream if needed to get a good consistency. 

Pour a majority of the caramel into the toasted coconut. Reserve about ¼-⅓ cup to the side. Mix the caramel into the toasted coconut. It will be nice and sticky but thoroughly combined. 

Add a thin layer of the reserved caramel to the shortbread cookie to act as the glue for the coconut caramel mixture so it can stick. Use a spoon to spread it around evenly. This process can get a bit messy, so take your time.

Add a mound of the coconut mixture to each cookie ring, pressing it down slightly. I use my fingers for this process. Allow the coconut to set up about 15-30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate and oil in the microwave. 

Using a fork, dunk the bottom half of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Tap off excess and then place cookies on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Drizzle chocolate on top of cookies. I like to get a fine drizzle over the tops by just placing the remaining chocolate in a ziplock baggie, cutting off one of the corners, and drizzling it over the top.