Girl Scout Samoas

Cookies

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt with a fork. Mix well and set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric hand or stand mixer. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
4. Add vanilla and half and half. Mix again until smooth.
5. Add flour mixture, half at a time, and mix until fully combined and dough-like. It will be thick.
6. Remove dough from the bowl and place it on the baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your hands, flatten the dough onto the baking sheet pressing downward.
7. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about ¼ - ½ inch thick.
8. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill the dough for 1 hour.
9. When the chilling time is complete, proceed with cutting your dough. Remove the cookie dough from the baking sheet and use a 2½ or 3-inch cookie cutter to cut rounds out from the dough.
10. Use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut the center out of each round.
11. Line the baking sheet with a fresh piece of parchment paper.
12. Place the cutouts on the baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
13. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown.
14. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the pan. Keep the oven on.
15. Place coconut on a separate baking sheet, spread it out evenly.
16. Bake the coconut to bake for 8 to 12 minutes, checking and stirring often. Bake until the coconut is golden brown. Be sure to check often near the end of the bake time, as coconut burns quickly! When done, remove it from the oven and set aside.
17. When the cookies have cooled completely, begin preparing your caramel.

Topping

1. Add unwrapped caramels and evaporated milk to a large non-stick skillet over low-medium heat. Using a silicone spatula, stir caramel occasionally until they begin to break down and become smooth.
2. Remove about ½ cup of caramel sauce from the skillet and reduce heat to simmer/low.
3. Spoon out caramel sauce over the tops of the cookies, spreading gently. This layer of caramel will act as “glue” for the caramel and coconut mixture.
4. Add the toasted coconut flakes to the skillet with the remaining caramel and mix using a rubber spatula until fully combined. Remove from heat.
5. Using a spoon or your fingers, add the caramel and coconut mixture onto the caramel ring. Do this for each cookie, working one at a time.
6. When all of the cookies have the caramel and coconut layer added, place the baking sheet inside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
7. Near the end of the chill time, begin to prepare your melting chocolate.
8. Add the chocolate wafers to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute.
9. When done, stir well and add the vegetable oil. Microwave on 50% powder for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is silky smooth.
10. Using two forks or dipping tools, lower the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate, coating until where the caramel and coconut begin.
11. When done, place the dipped cookie back on the baking sheet. Repeat this process one cookie at a time.
12. Add the remaining melted chocolate to a piping bag with a small round attachment. Pipe small chocolate lines back and forth over each cookie.
13. Place baking sheet back into the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before serving.