I have a bad habit. Ok, maybe more than just one. But one in particular involves taking everyday ingredients like chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and flour and turning them into morsels of insane goodness. Then, because I can’t trust myself to be left alone with such things, I take them to work. I am less likely to binge out on treats if I have to make a special trip upstairs to get them. My coworkers, on the other hand, receive full exposure to all caloric radiation coming off of the treat du jour.
After five years, my coworkers have come to expect that whatever I’ve brought in will:
A) taste good
B) contain amounts of butter and sugar that even Paula Deen may consider excessive
C) all of the above
D) none of the above
But when the time came to test an at home version of my favorite Girl Scout cookies, the Samoas, the folks at work didn’t know what was about to hit them. In a single cookie, I combined sugar, butter, chocolate, butter, caramel, butter, and coconut. They may be inclined to start calling me the Cookie Monster, but first they have to stop shoving these bars in their mouths. In between bites, this is what they had to say:
“Nummmmm nummm excellentnummmmmmm hmpffff”
“You should sell these”
“All the flavors build on each other”
But don’t take their word for it, try them yourself. Just be sure you have a way to protect yourself from the radiation. Friends, coworkers, and families all make great shields.
Homemade Somoas Cookie Bars
From bakingbites
You need to know that this recipe takes a while to execute and you will have a mess on your hands by the time you’re done. But the end result is worth both the time and the trouble…and I don’t say that too often about an at home version of store-bought treats.
It took my bars several hours for the chocolate bottoms to set. Don’t despair, they will. Just don’t forget to leave yourself enough time for everything to come together. I made mine the day before I wanted to serve them.
Shortbread Base
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup softened butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9 x 13 pan or line with parchment paper (I lined mine with parchment and put that on top of a sling fashioned out of aluminum foil to ensure the shortbread would come out effortlessly, and it did).
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. On low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. Transfer dough to prepared pan and press into an even layer.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the base is set and the edges are just lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
Topping
- 3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
- 12 ounces chewy caramel candies (I used 11 ounces of Werther’s Originals)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons milk (I used half and half)
- 10 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (chips are ok and I used a mix of both)
Adjust oven temperature to 300 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment lined sheet pan. Toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden brown. Cool on baking sheet.
Unwrap caramels, place in a large microwave safe bowl, and add milk and salt. Heat on high for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping about every 45 seconds to stir. When completely smooth, add cooled coconut and fold in with a spatula in several additions.
Put dollops of the topping on the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Do this while the caramel/coconut mixture is still warm. Let topping set until completely cooled then cut into approximately 30 bars with a large knife or pizza cutter.
Once the bars are cut, melt chocolate in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper to set up. Transfer the remaining chocolate, or melt a bit of additional chocolate if you have a lot of cookie crumbs in your bowl, into a zip top bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate.
Bon Appetit Hon 
this looks delightful…I will see if I can make some and I will let you know how I did!
Delightful is exactly what they are.
Good Lord, anything with chocolate and coconut in it makes me swoon. These look a-ma-zing.
For real, you need to make these. They are THAT good.
Mmm, butter. http://doctorbeatnik.wordpress.com/
Just looking at the ingredients is making my thighs get fat.
I’m making these!!
i started out today determined to seriously detox myself from sugary sweets, and then I came across your post on Freshly Pressed. it’s perfect baking weather and they sound delicious! how can one resist! thanks for sharing!
http://cupcakesandcatfood.wordpress.com
Ally, I think you should postpone your sugar detox until after you make these cookies.
Livvyjane, there are no calories in looking. There are also negative calories if you give away more of these cookies than you eat yourself : )
Steven, mmmm indeed.
These look beautifully insane! Can’t wait to try.
I secretly love girl scout cookies.
I used to get so uneasy when no little girls came to bribe me into buying their cookies.
I don’t think I was ever too strategic at hiding my will to buy them considering that at some point in time I’d be standng in my doorway checking off 5 boxes of each type.
(:
Can’t wait to try these.
This recipe will totally liberate you from once a year hoarding…at least for Samoas. I’ve done an at home version of Thin Mints. To be honest, they weren’t worth the trouble. For those, I will gladly make room in the freezer at Girl Scout cookie time.
I want to put my face in that. Nom!
I also use my partner’s co-workers to keep us slim and them, well, not so slim. These cookies look fantastic and I will be trying them soon and I will report back. Thanks for sharing a great looking recipe!
Do you happen to have an easy chocolate chip cookie bar recipe? I just butchered one…it was TERRIBLE…and I’m blaming the recipe (nevermind that I suck at baking).
Vampiregran – you’d think by now the people we pawn these treats off on would get wise to us. But they don’t. They just keep eating. And folks wonder how I was able to lose 40 pounds last year…it’s because I only eat a fraction of the treats that I make.
Jessica – I don’t have a choc chip bar recipe. I’ve got a few choc chip cookie recipes lined up to try but haven’t tested them yet. I imagine it shouldn’t be too hard to try and modify the New York Times recipe (which had a huge buzz) to be made as bars. Or even Alton Brown’s Chewy choc chip.
yumalicious
love
wowwww!! delicious .. .. can i have that for free..
Thanks Wendi! I am going to have to try the NY Times recipe…I’ve boycotted Alton Brown. He lives in Atlanta, where I live, and is very persnickity…(however you spell that)…likes things in JUST SUCH A WAY…
Jessica, yes AB has his own way about things. But truth be told, he’s the one who got me excited about cooking.
Let me know how the NYT recipe works for you. Just remember that for optimal cookiedom, the dough wants to rest for up to 24 hours. Me, I don’t think I’m strong enough to have a bowl of cookie dough in the Fridigaire for a day. Maybe you’re a stronger woman that am I.
Bon Appetit Hon!
omg! I’ve just finished breaky, but you’ve managed to make me hungry all over again!
Going to have to definitely spoil my husband with this treat!
Thanks for sharing! š
it looks yummy, thanks for sharing recipies š
Will be trying on this recipe. Looks great.
Thanks for all the great comments. Hope you’ll visit again soon to let me know how yours turned out and to see what’s cooking here at BAH.
Wendi
Is it bad that I want this for breakfast? š
http://www.theprettyproject.com
Not at all. I can’t say that I’d recommend it on a daily basis but after I made these, there were a few mornings that I had a one with my coffee : )
omg, delectable! i wish i know how to bake
recipes and procedures are useless for me
im not goddamn gifted when it comes to baking!
I’ve come to realize that it’s all about baby steps. Find something you’re comfortable with, build your confidence up, and grow from there. Seven years ago, I would have never been able to pull these off. Today, they are a divine reality.
DECADENTLY SINFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes they are sinful. But I mean that in the nicest way.