She Strengthens

The Ultimate Samoa-Inspired Cookie Recipe

A Delicious Combination of Shortbread, Caramel, Coconut, and Chocolate

The Samoa, a beloved Girl Scout Cookie, is a masterful blend of flavors and textures. Our version takes inspiration from this classic treat, with a few expert twists to elevate it to new heights.

Special Equipment Needed

To tackle this recipe, you’ll need a few specialized tools:

• A kitchen scale
• A chocolate thermometer (such as CDN’s)

Choosing the Right Chocolate

Professional pastry chefs swear by couverture chocolate, which contains more cocoa butter than regular chocolate. For this recipe, we used El Rey 58.5% dark chocolate Discos, available at specialty grocery stores or online.

Tips for Working with Chocolate

To ensure success, keep the following tips in mind:

• Tempering chocolate is crucial, but it can be finicky. Work in an air-conditioned space, and avoid tempering on hot days.
• Chocolate behaves best at room temperature (mid-60s to low 70s).
• Tempered chocolate has a limited lifespan, so work quickly and have everything ready to go.

Yield and Difficulty

This recipe yields approximately 48 cookies and is considered challenging (3 hours 15 minutes total, 1 hour 50 minutes active).

Ingredients

For the cookie base:

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), chilled and cut into small pieces

For the caramel topping:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For tempering the chocolate and assembling the cookies:

• Ice
• 1 1/2 pounds semisweet chocolate couverture, separated into 1 (18-ounce) portion and 1 (6-ounce) portion
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut, toasted

Instructions

Cookie Base

1. Beat together egg and vanilla extract until the yolk is broken up and evenly combined.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor and pulse to aerate.
3. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles sand.
4. Add egg mixture and pulse until the dough forms into a ball.
5. Turn dough out onto a clean surface, form into a circle, and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Caramel Topping

1. Combine sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Continue boiling, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture turns a deep amber color.
3. Remove from heat, carefully pour in cream and vanilla, and stir until evenly combined.
4. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside.

Tempering the Chocolate

1. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a large bowl with 2 inches of cold water and adding 3 to 4 ice cubes.
2. Bring a medium saucepan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer over high heat.
3. Place 18 ounces of the chocolate couverture in a dry, heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan.
4. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and has reached 118°F.
5. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the remaining 6 ounces chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate has melted and the temperature has cooled to 80°F.

Assembling the Cookies

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Dip the flat bottom of each cookie into the tempered chocolate, scraping off excess against the edge of the bowl.
3. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, chocolate side down, and let sit at room temperature until completely set.
4. Meanwhile, ensure the caramel is warm to the touch and still pourable.
5. Flip the cookies chocolate side up and dip the top into the caramel, letting any excess drip off.
6. Immediately dip the caramel side into the toasted coconut.
7. Place about 1 cup of the tempered chocolate in a resealable plastic bag and drizzle over the cookies in a zigzag pattern.
8. Let the chocolate and caramel completely set before eating.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Enjoy!