Girl Scout Samoas

Copycat recipe. Also known as Caramel deLites.

makes 4 dozen

cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
coconut topping
3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
15 oz. soft caramels
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz. dark chocolate

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add flour mixture alternating with the milk and vanilla. Divide dough in half, roll each into tight balls, then flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter or two different size circles to create the doughnut effect. Place cookies on cookie sheet a inch apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until pale golden brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire wrack to cool completely. Spread coconut flakes onto a baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes in a 350ºF oven until toasted, stirring frequently and watch closely. Remove the toasted coconut from the oven and set it aside. Melt caramels, milk and salt in a double-boiler. Cook, stirring, until the caramels are melted. Remove pan from the heat. Add 3/4 of the caramel to the toasted coconut. Stir to combine. Carefully spread the remaining caramel on the top of the the cooled cookies. Press on some of the coconut mixture. Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes. Melt chocolate. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the chocolate and place them on a wax paper. Drizzle tops with chocolate. Let cookies sit until the chocolate hardens.