Samoas Bars

Ok, so I have never had a samoas before until this year...my daughter joined Girl Scouts and when it came time to sell cookies I bought a box, mistake, I should have bought like 6 or 7 of them!  They are like a cookie sent down from heaven above.  I just hope this recipe is as close as it can get! 

Amanda over at Fake Ginger is not big on chocolate so these aren't dipped in chocolate, but that is what I am going to do!  Bring it on!  Just melt a bag of chocolate chips instead of the 1/2 cup that this recipe calls for. Once it’s melted, dip the bars one at a time and then place on parchment (or wax paper) to harden.

For the crust:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

For the topping:
3 cups shredded coconut
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. 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.

2. Place caramels, salt, and milk in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the caramels have melted and everything has come together as one mixture. Fold in the toasted coconut.

3. Spread the caramel mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).

4. Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a double boiler, a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, or a microwave. Once melted, allow to cool slightly and then transfer to a pastry bag with a small round tip (or ziploc bag – cut a corner off after the chocolate is in) and drizzle over tops of bars. Store in an airtight container once chocolate is set.

Photo and recipe found at Fake Ginger.