Homemade Samoa Cookies

Experimenting with shortbread cookie recipes, I found a way to create a cookie the not only gives you a melt-in-your-mouth texture, but also retains its shape and doesn't crumble when you pick it up. I ended up making these for Easter weekend to give out as gifts. So far the cookies haven't made it past the 2 hour mark after being opened and left up on a table for consumption. Hope you love these as much as my friends and family do! Enjoy!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 594 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 22 ounces caramels (such as Kraft® Caramel Bits)
• 1 pound chocolate (such as CandiQuick®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

Beat butter, white sugar, and salt together in a bowl; add 2 cups flour and stir. Beat 1 cup flour into butter mixture; mix until a sticky dough forms.

Step 3

Whisk egg, vanilla extract, and milk together in a bowl. Beat remaining flour and egg mixture into dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Break off a small portion of dough and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface into a 1/4-inch thick round. Place round on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Step 5

Bake cookies in the preheated oven until slightly golden and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6

Cook and stir coconut in a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown and toasted, 2 to 4 minutes.

Step 7

Melt caramel bits in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir coconut into caramel. Press a spoonful of caramel-coconut mixture into the top of each cookie.

Step 8

Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth, about 60 seconds. Dip the base of each cookie into melted chocolate and place dipped cookies on parchment paper until chocolate sets. Drizzle chocolate over the top of each cookie.