How to Make Samoa Girl Scout Cookies at Home
There is a large divide between those who love Samoas (otherwise known as Caramel deLites) and those who love Thin Mints. But I’ve never met a Girl Scout cookie I didn’t like.
Related: 20 Cookies to Move to the Top of Your List
I used to be a girl guide (that’s “girl scout” to my American friends) and come cookie season, I went door to door, making it my job to sell as many cookies as possible.
Fuel your samoa addiction. (Photo: Miranda Keyes/Food52)
That’s why I never say no when I spot Girl Scout cookies being sold. The only problem is that Girl Scouts seem harder and harder to find these days.
Related: How to Make Hostess Cupcakes at Home
When you just can’t wait for cookie season, you have to take matters into your own hands. These homemade Samoa cookies have a buttery shortbread base, a caramel and toasted coconut topping, and a dip and drizzle of dark chocolate.
They’re so good that you might just start selling them yourself…
Homemade Samoa-Inspired Cookies
Makes 20 cookies
For the shortbread cookie base:
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
For the cookie topping:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
250 grams finely chopped dark chocolate
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350° F.
Start by making the shortbread cookie base: In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar using a wooden spoon, hand mixer, or stand mixer. Mix in the vanilla and salt, then add the flour and mix to combine. Bring the dough together and dump it onto a lightly floured surface.
Roll the dough out to ¼-inch thick, turning it often to prevent sticking and adding extra flour as needed.
Related: Our Essential Chocolate Chip Cookie Guide
Doughnuts? No … (Photo: Miranda Keyes/Food52)
Using a doughnut cutter or two round cutters (2 ½-inch and 1-inch rounds), cut the cookie dough into inner tube shapes.
Related: 12 Cookies Worthy of Cookie Monster
Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are just turning golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely.
Cookies! (Photo: Miranda Keyes/Food52)
Keeping the oven on, toast the coconut (you can also toast it as the cookies bake). Spread the coconut into a single layer and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown. Let cool completely.
Prepare your toppings. (Photos: Miranda Keyes/Food52)
While the cookies are cooling, finish the caramel topping. Before making the caramel, have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go. In a large pot, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Do not stir once the mixture starts boiling. Let the liquid bubble until the sugar turns amber in color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly add butter, cream, vanilla, and salt. The caramel will sputter quite a bit, so stand back and be careful.
Set aside ¼ cup of the caramel in a small bowl. Add the toasted coconut to the remaining caramel in the pot. Let cool slightly. Using a spoon, drizzle about ½ teaspoon of the reserved caramel on top of each cookie. Using your hands, put about 1 tablespoon coconut-caramel mixture on top of the caramel. Once each cookie has coconut topping, place in fridge to set for 10 minutes.
Drooling, already? I thought so. (Photo: Miranda Keyes/Food52)
Prepare the chocolate for dipping and drizzling. Melt the chocolate in microwave in 30-second intervals. Dip the bottoms of each cookie in the melted chocolate, then leave to set upside down (chocolate side up) in the fridge for 5 minutes.
The only thing better than chocolate doughnuts are these cookies. (Photo: Miranda Keyes/Food52)
Once the chocolate has set, drizzle the remaining chocolate over top of the cookies. You can do this with a spoon or a fork, or you can pop the remaining chocolate in a plastic bag, cut a small hole in the corner, and pipe the chocolate on each cookie.
Chocolate + toasted coconut = a match made in Girl Scout heaven. (Photo: Miranda Keyes/Food52)
Place back in the fridge to set, about 5 minutes. They’ll keep for one week in a sealed container, or much longer in the freezer.
Up close and personal. (Photo: Miranda Keyes/Food52)
Save and print the recipe on Food52.
By Miranda Keyes.
