Samoas Cookies (Girl Scout Copycat)

Shortbread cookie

1. Cream the butter and salt in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, for 2-4 min. Add both sugars, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat again for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the flour and baking soda on low speed just until the dough comes together. 
3. 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. Roll it out about ¼ inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet, and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the fridge. 
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Toast the coconut. Pour the coconut onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven to toast for ~10-15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Depending on your oven, this may take longer or faster so be sure to keep a close eye on it! 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.
6. Once the cookie dough has chilled, peel back the top piece of parchment. Cut out the cookies using a 2-inch circular cookie cutter or a donut-shaped cookie cutter. If using just a regular 2-inch circular cookie cutter, you’ll need to use a piping tip to cut out a small circle in the middle. 
7. 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. 
8. 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.
9. Unwrap the caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the heavy cream. Melt in the microwave in increments until melted. Add a touch more heavy cream if needed to get a good consistency. 
10. Pour a majority of the caramel into the toasted coconut. Reserve just about ¼-⅓ cup to the side. Mix the caramel into the toasted coconut. It will be nice and sticky but thoroughly combined. 
11. 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, take your time.
12. Add a mound of the coconut mixture to each cookie ring, pressing it down slightly. I use my fingers for this process. Once again, a little messy, but not bad. Wash your fingers if they get too sticky and then continue mounding the coocnut on. Allow the coconut to set up ~15-30 minutes.
13. Melt the chocolate and oil in the microwave. 
14. 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.
15. 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. 
16. Allow to set up, and enjoy! Yay you did it!