and so it begins…

Yesterday, May 30th -Memorial Day 2011, was the first day of our 2011 Summer Classes. It marks the beginning of Les Petites Gourmettes’ 17th year. Seventeen years, that’s a long time! But it’s only about half as long as Girl Scout Samoa cookies have been around.

Today in class, the kids made homemade Samoa cookies, well kind of.  More like the top layer of Samoa cookies, the caramel-coconut-chocolate part, minus the crispy bottom cookie part. I’m including the full recipe (bottom and top portions) here.  The only reason we skipped a part was because of time restraints. We are going to use the cookies for our Samoa cupcakes that we are making today.  That recipe will be posted tomorrow.  If you want to make the cupcakes and if you don’t still have a box of Girl Scout Samoa cookies in the cupboard, and don’t want to make your own, you can purchase Keebler Coconut Dreams Cookies instead.

Please don’t be fooled by all the cookie and cupcake talk, we make healthy stuff too, in fact, the onions, potatoes, and tomatoes you see here will be used up when the week is over… the garlic on the far right… it’ll probably last till the end of the summer.

Homemade Samoa Cookies

Cookie Bottom
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

Topping
8 cups shredded or flaked coconut
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Cookie Bottom: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer until light and fluffy. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and milk; blend until smooth.

Place a large piece of parchment paper on a counter and scrape the dough onto the parchment, flatten with your hands. Place another sheet of parchment on top and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch rectangle.  Remove the top sheet of parchment and using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place them on prepared baking sheets.

Now, using a clean drinking straw, make a small hole in the center of each cookie. Discard or eat, the little pieces of dough. (Smile!)

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. (Maintain oven temperature.)  Cool on baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer cookies to cooling racks.

Topping: Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast in 350-degree oven, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. (Watch carefully, coconut burns easily!)

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup.  Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly. Continue cooking over low heat until a candy thermometer reaches 225 degrees.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Beat until thick and creamy with a hand mixer.  Immediately stir in toasted coconut and mix well.

Spoon by tablespoonfuls onto the cooled cookie bottoms, leaving the hole in the center open. Flatten slightly very gently to adhere to the cookie. Cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle thinly in stripes over cookies. Let chocolate harden at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 4 dozen