Homemade Samoas Cookies

overhead shot of samoas cookies in round pie plate with more cookies around, a measuring cup of toasted coconut, a glass of milk, and flowers around on marble surface.

Homemade Samoas Cookies

Everyone's favorite girl scout cookie...now made at home! These Samoas Cookies are perfectly sweet, caramel-y, extra coconutty, with a tender shortbread cookie, and dark chocolate to compliment every bite. They are SO. GOOD.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 30

Assembly Time: 30

Total Time: 1 45

Servings: cookies

Calories: 216kcal

Ingredients

Cookies

½ cup salted butter room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour

Coconut Caramel

3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup granulated sugar
3½ Tablespoons corn syrup
1¼ cups heavy cream
2 Tablespoons salted butter
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream

Chocolate

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

Cookies

Heat oven to 375℉/190℃.
Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Mix in vanilla
Add flour.
Mix only to blend.
Form dough into a ball.
Place on a nonstick surface. (marble, parchment, silicone)
Flatten into a disc.
Roll to 3/16 inch thick.
Cut cookies using a 2-inch round cutter.
Cut out centers using ½ inch round cutter.
Transfer to prepared pans.
Gather scraps and re-roll until all the dough is used.
Bake for 9 minutes.
Allow to cool on pans.

Coconut Caramel

Reduce oven temperature to 350℉/177℃.
Spread coconut evenly on sheet pan.
Bake, stirring occasionally, until coconut is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1¼ cups cream, and butter.
Cook and stir over medium low heat until sugar melts.
Stop stirring and brush down sides with a silicone brush dipped in warm water.
Continue cooking to 245℉/118℃.
Remove caramel from heat.
Stir in vanilla and toasted coconut.
Immediately transfer to heatproof glass bowl.
Add ¼ cup cream.
Place over a pot of simmering water.
Heat and stir until melted and smooth.
Carefully place 1½ teaspoons, or desired amount, on top of each cookie.
Set aside to cool.

Chocolate

In a microwave safe glass bowl, combine chocolate and oil.
Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Dip the bottom of each cookie in chocolate.
Drain.
Set on parchment.
Drizzle chocolate over top of each cookie.

Notes

Substitutions:

You can use store-bought soft caramels for this recipe rather than making your own caramel.
Milk chocolate or bittersweet chocolate will work for these cookies.

Expert Tips:

For cutting the cookies, if you do not have a small enough cutter for the middle circle, you can actually use the back of a piping tip!
Do NOT over-bake the shortbread! This is super important. The cookies need to just be baked/barely beginning to color.
You will need to test your thermometer before using it for the candy. The best way to do this is boil a pot of water with your thermometer in it. A pot of boiling water should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Don’t let the thermometer sit at the bottom of the pot when you are cooking.
Use a bigger pot than you think you need! The caramel bubbles up very high when you’re cooking.
Don’t skip brushing down the sides for the caramel! This keeps it from crystalizing.
Once you add the toasted coconut to the caramel, it will thicken quite a bit. Adding the extra cream and placing it over a simmering pot of water not only loosens the caramel, but also keeps it warm (without being too hot!), which makes it sticky and easy to place on the cookies.
The cookies to be room temperature before you add the caramel mixture.
Do NOT apply pressure to the cookies when adding the caramel on top. The cookies are quite thin and therefore very fragile.
Let the caramel cool and set completely before dipping and drizzling.

Nutrition