Homemade Samoa Bars

Samoa Bars

A copy of the Girl Scout cookie

Ingredients:
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)
Directions:

Cookie Base:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
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 prepapred pan and press into an even layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned.
Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Spread coconut onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted.  Set aside to cool.

When crust is cool, put water, butter and caramels into a medium sized pot on medium heat. Allow everything to melt, stirring often so that the mixture doesn’t boil.

Add about 1 1/2 cups of the toasted coconut and mix together.

Spread caramel mixture evenly over shortbread, pressing it into an even layer.

Sprinkle remaining toasted coconut over the caramel mixture and press into the caramel.

Allow caramel to fully cool, about an hour.

Remove from pan and cut into 16 bars.

Melt about 5 oz of chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave, heating in 30 second increments until melted.

Dip the bottoms of each bar into the chocolate, then wipe excess of on the side of the bowl. You don’t want it to be a real thick layer of chocolate, just a light coating. Places bars on parchment paper to dry.

Melt remaining chocolate chips and drizzle it over the tops of the bars.

Allow chocolate to cool and harden.  Cut into 16 pieces.