How one can Make Your Personal Woman Scout Cookie-Fashion Caramel deLites

I someway missed Woman Scout Cookie season this yr. I normally maintain an eye fixed out for the colourful bins on tables exterior supermarkets, however earlier than I knew it, April was gone and so had been the cookies. So I’m dedicating a while to Woman Scout Cookies, and the best way to impersonate them, till subsequent yr. You would most likely purchase a field of GSCs from Ebay or Mercari for a premium value, or you may mud off your rolling pins as a substitute and make knock-offs with me for lots cheaper.

As we speak, we will flip our consideration to Caramel deLites, that are a few of my favorites from the Woman Scout Cookie lineup. They function a plain, crunchy cookie that’s draped in a caramel and coconut combination, and wearing a little bit of chocolate. You may know them as Samoas. (They’re the identical sort of cookie, simply produced by totally different bakeries.)

As is the case with most knock-off recipes of mass produced cookies, the home made ones are normally extra flavorful and bulkier. Regardless of my greatest efforts to make a extra convincing copycat with much less taste and a extra diminutive form, the recipe I settled on is extra buttery, coconut-y, and bigger than the celeb model. I even did a take a look at batch with vegetable shortening just like the ingredient checklist from ABC Bakers suggests, however I didn’t like them as a lot as I preferred the butter-based recipe I made later. Nonetheless, in the event you’re seeking to minimize down on the butter notes (they’re robust) you may attempt substituting half of the butter fats for shortening.

I made a decision to impersonate Caramel deLites with a modified shortbread dough. From what I keep in mind, the cookie is obvious, crumbly, however agency, so a easy dough appeared like an inexpensive match. As a lot as I needed the cookie to be nearer to the ABC Bakers cookie, few individuals (together with myself) will make an excessively sophisticated recipe. These cookies are incredible, however perceive that they gained’t provide the identical straight-from-the-package taste. As an alternative you’ll be met with aromas of browned butter, toasted coconut, and a whiff of dulce de leche. I do know. How disappointing. 

How one can make knock-off Caramel deLites (or Samoas)

1. Make the bottom cookie dough

Combine room temperature butter, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, salt, and baking powder collectively in a mixing bowl. The dough ought to ball up collectively and be stiff however pliable. Press it right into a disc and depart it within the bowl. Let it relaxation within the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

2. Make the topping

Whereas the dough rests, make the topping. As soon as once more, taking steerage from the ABC Baker’s components, I used sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened shredded coconut to make the chewy topping. I used Let’s Do Natural model as a result of the items are smaller than one thing like Baker’s. Combine the sweetened condensed milk with the coconut shreds to make a thick goo. 

Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

3. Form the cookies

Roll out the cookie dough on a frivolously floured floor till it’s a few quarter-inch thick. Scoop the coconut goo onto the cookie dough and unfold it out throughout the floor. Now you will have a two layer cookie sheet. Utilizing a cookie cutter (I used a fluted two-inch cutter), minimize by each layers. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Use a small round cookie cutter (or a piping tip, like I did) to chop out the middle gap. Put the cookies within the freezer for about quarter-hour when you preheat the oven. 

Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

4. Bake ‘em

Bake the cookies straight out of the freezer for eight to 10 minutes. Keep watch over them within the final two minutes as they’ll be pale one second and brown in a flash. Cool them on a wire cooling rack when you make the chocolate glaze. 

5. Beautify with a chocolate stripes

I went all-in and swiped chocolate on the bottoms in addition to striping the tops, however in the event you don’t have the endurance for each, I fully perceive. Simply do the stripes for the traditional Samoa cookie look. 

In any other case, flip the entire cookies over and have a brand new piece of parchment on a dish or slicing board. I used this chocolate glaze from meals.com and it labored nicely. Combine the oil, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and sizzling water along with a whisk. Working shortly, swipe chocolate onto the bottoms of the entire cookies with a rubber spatula, pastry brush, or small offset spatula. Maintain the layer skinny to forestall puddling. Put them chocolate-side down on the parchment. Utilizing a spoon or a small pastry bag in case you have it, drizzle the remaining chocolate topping over the cookies in a stripe sample. (In case your chocolate begins to thicken and harden, simply pop it within the microwave for about 10 or 15 seconds to liquify it once more.) Cool the cookies at room temperature for 20 minutes, or within the fridge for 5.

These knock-off cookies develop into extra “convincing” in the event that they cool fully, however their buttery taste is extra pleasant after they’re freshly completed. It’s as much as you. When you have the endurance, give them loads of time to chill. If not, you’ll nonetheless be a winner ultimately.

Copycat Samoa or Caramel deLite Cookie Recipe

Components:

For the cookie dough:

• ¼ cup sugar

• ½ cup butter, room temperature

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coconut topping:

For the chocolate drizzle:

1. Combine room temperature butter, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, and salt, and baking powder collectively in a mixing bowl. Press it right into a disc and pop it within the fridge for 10 minutes.

2. Whereas the dough rests, combine the sweetened condensed milk and shredded coconut in a small bowl to make a thick goo. 

3. Roll out the cookie dough on a frivolously floured floor to a quarter-inch thickness. Unfold the coconut goo onto the cookie dough to make a double layer. Utilizing a spherical cookie cutter, minimize by each layers. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Use a smaller round cookie cutter, minimize out the middle gap. Put the cookies within the freezer for about quarter-hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 F. After the cookies have chilled, bake the cookies straight out of the freezer for 8-10 minutes, or till frivolously browned. Cool them on a wire cooling rack when you make the chocolate glaze. 

5. Combine the oil, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and sizzling water along with a whisk. Working shortly, swipe chocolate onto the bottoms of the entire cookies. Put them chocolate-side down on a chunk of parchment. Use a spoon or a small pastry bag to drizzle the remaining chocolate topping over the cookies in a stripe sample. Cool the cookies fully. Peel them off the parchment and revel in.