Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Samoas January 23
FILED UNDER RECIPES, COOKIES, CHOCOLATE BY NICOLE | 101 COMMENTS

Samoas, also known as Caramel de-Lites, have always been my favorite
girl scout cookie (although I do enjoy Do-Si-Dos, Tagalongs and Thin
Mints). I’m not sure how they rank in the overall scheme of GS cookie
popularity, but I will go so far as to say that I have never met
someone who didn’t care for them at all - even people who say that
they usually don’t like coconut. I think that the cookie is just a
good and rather unique combination of flavors.
The Girl Scout bakeries describe Samoas as vanilla cookies dipped in
caramel, topped with coconut and drizzled with chocolate. All good
flavors, though I have to admit that I never tasted much vanilla in
the cookies themselves, and so I used this description as a jumping
off point for my version. I remember the cookies as being crisp and
tender in the original, and selected a plain shortbread-like base for
these. The cookie dough is very rich - by which I mean that it has a
lot of butter - and is very easy to work with. The butter keeps it
tender, so it won’t toughen up even after repeated rollings of the
dough.
For the topping, I debated between using a from-scratch recipe like
Chockylit’s or a semi-homemade recipe like Debbie’s. The from-scratch
recipe sounded appealing, but I opted for the semi-homemade version
because I had a ton of Werther’s Chewy Caramels around already. These
particular caramels are nice because they’re made with real butter,
sugar and cream (rather than using partially hydrogenated oils, as a
number of other caramels do). Of course, you can use any similar chewy
caramel that’s handy, I just recommend picking out one with the best
ingredient list you can find. I did take Chockylit’s suggestion of
toasting the coconut for bit of extra texture. I used dark chocolate
for the dip and drizzle, and set each of the cookies on a piece of
parchment paper after dunking them in the chocolate to let it set up
in an even layer.
There are two ways to get the shape for these cookies. The first is to
roll the dough out between pieces of wax paper and use a cookie cutter
to make rounds, cutting the smaller center hole later. This technique
works great and doesn’t take too long, especially as the dough can be
rerolled a couple of times. The second technique calls for a special
pan: a mini donut pan. If you have a pan like this, simply press some
cookie dough into the tube and bake. The dough doesn’t rise much,
giving you a nice flat side and a perfectly rounded one. Take your
pick and go with what is convenient for you.
And since you’re all probably wondering, these cookies were absolutely
fabulous. The cookies were tender and buttery, the topping was sweet
with a delicious coconut flavor, and the dip of chocolate on the
bottom of each cookie balanced all the flavors perfectly. Better than
I even remember the Girl Scout cookies being. I could - but I won’t -
probably eat an entire batch of these on my own.


Homemade Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel de-Lites)
Cookies
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour,
baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and
milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together
without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at
all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball.
Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of
wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1
1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined
baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a
smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use
scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini
donut pan to form the rounds.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and
cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10
minutes, until edges are light gold.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire
rack to cool completely.
Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)
Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking
sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every
5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring
occasionally. Set aside.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk
and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times
to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a
spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled
cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few
seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.
While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in
the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent
scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on
a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or
melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or
a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies
with chocolate.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Do-si-dos January 21
FILED UNDER RECIPES, COOKIES BY NICOLE | 10 COMMENTS

The other day, I expressed some concern over the fact that (a) Girl
Scout cookies still have trans fats in them because they are made with
hydrogenated shortening instead of, say, butter and (b) Girl Scout
cookies don’t taste all that great any more - especially considering
that the price per box has gone up and the size of the cookies seems
to have gone down. I mentioned that I wanted to make my own Girl Scout
Cookies and decided that I would go for it! This week, I’ll be
featuring recipes for three of my favorites - these, Samoas and
Tagalongs - and (if you’re lucky) I might throw in a bonus recipe, as
well, though you can find a Thin Mint recipe in the archives if you
want even more.
This is a recipe that comes from Best of the Best Vol. 8, a Food &
Wine cookbook that I stumbled upon on an ultra-clearance table at some
bookstore a while back. I doubt that the book cost more than a box of
Girl Scout cookies (hurray for sale pricing!) and this recipe alone is
more than worth it. It’s from Thomas Keller, a cookie recipe that is
used at his Yountville, CA bistro, Bouchon. I’ve made them in the past
and they’ve always come out to be very large and a bit chewy, but the
overall idea is the same as the peanut butter sandwich Girl Scout
cookie, so I figured it wouldn’t need too much tweaking.
The overall result from this recipe is a cookie that looks a heck of a
lot like the Do-Si-Do, but tastes much, much better. The cookies are
crisp and ultra-tender, the kind of cookie that crumbles into your
mouth immediately when you bite into it. There is no misprint in the
amount of leavening given in the recipe below; the baking soda and
baking powder help to create this texture. The filling is very creamy
with a sweet peanut butter flavor. The main differences between these
and the GS cookies are that the cookies themselves are more delicate
and the filling is softer. They are dangerously addictive if you like
peanut butter and, to give fair warning, you may never go back to the
GS version no matter how cute those kids look when they’re pitching
them.
I made little holes in half of the cookies to get the same overall
look as the GS cookies. Use a straw or the tip of a knife to carve a
little hole when the cookies are hot from the oven, that way they’ll
set up with the hole in place.

Homemade Do-si-dos a.k.a. Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or regular)

Filling
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350F.
Start with the cookies. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour,
baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and peanut butter. Beat in the
sugars until fluffy, then add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until
each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla
extract.
Working at a low speed, mix in the flour, followed by the oats (if you
don’t have quick-cooking, pulse whole rolled oats in the food
processor to chop them up a bit).
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drop teaspoonfuls of batter
(roughly 3/4-in. sized balls), leaving about 2 inches between each to
allow for spread.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown.
Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, making small holes in 1/2 of the
cookies (for the tops of the sandwiches) before they set up. Transfer
to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cookies have cooled, make the filling.
In a large bowl, cream together smooth peanut butter, butter and
confectioners’ sugar until very smooth. Spread 2-3 tsp onto half of
the finished cookies and sandwich with the remaining halves. If you
chose to make yours with GS-lookalike holes in some of the cookies,
use these as the tops of the sandwiches.
Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 48 sandwich cookies.
Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Tagalongs January 25
FILED UNDER RECIPES, COOKIES, CHOCOLATE BY NICOLE | 16 COMMENTS

Tagalongs, or Peanut Butter Patties, seem to be one of the less
remarkable Girl Scout cookies. Everyone likes them, but no one ever
seems to call them out as their favorite. My feeling is that these
cookies are very reminiscent of candies like peanut butter cups and I
think we can all agree that they are a hard act to follow because the
combination is such a good one.
So, while I don’t think that this homemade version of Tagalongs is
going to replace classic peanut butter cups, they are still really
good cookies. The cookie is crisp and a bit plain, although the hint
of vanilla in it highlights the peanut butter filling. The chocolate
is best in a thin layer, holding everything together in a neat
package. I got the ultra-smooth cut in the photo above by using a hot
knife; the filling does have a bit more texture to it than that pic
might lead you to believe, especially if you use natural peanut
butter.
The cookie base for these is the same one that I used to make my
homemade Samoas: a tender and crisp shortbread-type cookie. The
cookies are about the same size, although since they don’t have a hole
in the center, they do need a tiny bit longer in the oven than the
other cookies did. I shaped all of these by hand, but you can
certainly use a cookie cutter to make them. By hand, simply take a
tablespoon-sized ball and flatten it into a 1/4-inch thick disc on the
baking sheet. To use a cookie cutter, simply opt for a 1 or 1 1/2 inch
round and cut circles on rolled dough. I actually prefer the hand-
shaped cookies for these because I felt they had a better shape. The
edges spread ever so slightly and the center rose a small amount, too,
creating a nice target for the “thumbprints” (the hole for the peanut
butter created by pressing a thumb or the back of a spoon into the
still hot-from-the-oven cookies).
I used the same peanut butter filling that I used for my homemade
peanut butter cups, substituting all creamy peanut butter for the
crunchy. It is a stiffer filling than I used for my Do-Si-Dos and
works much better in this cookie. These would be nice with crunchy
peanut butter, but are somewhat more authentic without it. I increased
the amount I used in this batch and did have a bit of peanut butter
left over, but the beauty of leftovers with this recipe is that you
actually can make the peanut butter cups with leftover chocolate and
filling. I wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of that pleasure, so being
extremely precise wasn’t a huge concern of mine. Besides, you can
always pile up the peanut butter in your cookies if you want to
improve on the GS version. Chill the peanut butter filling before
dipping the cookies in chocolate to prevent it from softening and
losing shape.
The only problem I encountered with these cookies was that the
chocolate coating turned out to be quite thick, somewhat overwhelming
the flavor of the peanut butter when I used dark chocolate. Semisweet
produced a better contrast and, if you like milk chocolate, you might
want to try half-and-half. Also, keep the melted chocolate in a glass
or pyrex bowl so that it can be set on top of a pan of hot water (like
a double boiler) while you work on dipping the cookies. This will keep
the chocolate very fluid without the risk of burning it and will
enable you to get a nice thin coating.

Homemade Tagalongs (a.k.a. Peanut Butter Patties)
Cookies
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour,
baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and
milk. The dough should come together into a soft ball.
Take a tablespoon full of dough and flatten it into a disc about 1/4-
inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with
remaining dough. Cookies will not spread too much, so you can squeeze
them in more than you would for chocolate chip cookies.
(Alternatively, you can use a cookie cutter, as described in the post
above).
Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, until bottoms and the edges are
lightly browned and cookies are set.
Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, use your thumb or a
small spoon to make a depression in the center of each cookie
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire
rack to cool completely.
Filling
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (natural or regular)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar*
generous pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
about 8-oz semisweet chocolate
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar,
salt and vanilla. When the mixture has come together, heat it in the
microwave (again in short intervals, stirring frequently), until it is
very, very soft. Working carefully with the hot filling, transfer it
to a pastry bag (or plastic bag with the tip cut off) and pipe a
generous dome of the filling into each cookie’s “thumbprint”.
Chill cookies with filling for 20-30 minutes, or until the peanut
butter is firm.
Melt the chocolate in a small, heat-resistant bowl. This can be done
in a microwave (with frequent stirring) or on a double boiler, but the
bowl of melted chocolate should ultimately be placed above a pan of
hot, but not boiling, water to keep it fluid while you work.
Dip chilled cookies into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on
a sheet of parchment paper to let the cookies set up. The setting
process can be accelerated by putting the cookies into the
refrigerator once they have been coated.
Makes about 3-dozen
*You might need slightly less sugar if you’re using the conventional
peanut butter, as it tends to be a bit sweeter. Taste the filling
before using to make sure you like the sweet/savory balance.

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:57:39 -0800 (PST), pamjd >
wrote:

>Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Samoas January 23
>
>Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Do-si-dos January 21
>
>Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Tagalongs January 25

I just spotted this, Lady Pamela! I'm a huge fan of Samoas, and Crash
loves Do-si-dos. Thanks bunches.

Carol

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