Samoas Bars

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Hubby loves girl scout cookies. Specifically Samoas. I grew up in the Midwest, and we always called them Caramel Delights. Whatever you call them, everyone loves them. I saw this recipe come up and I knew I had to make these.

These bars do take a little bit of time because each step requires some wait time before you can move on to the next step. In the end, they’re definitely worth the effort. Hubby did comment that the cookie part tasted a bit off. I think there’s just a higher ratio of the cookie part than in the girl scout version.

Homemade Samoas Bars – from Baking Bites – makes 30 barsCookie 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

First, make the crust.

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 prepared 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.

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

Preheat oven to 300. 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.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter.

Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high 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 – I used a spoon to spread some melted chocolate on the bottom of each bar. I then laid them chocolate side up to set the chocolate.

Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 30 bar cookies.

Bars and Brownies, Dessert

14 comments »

23 Responses to “Banana Split Cupcake”

#
1

stephchows — September 15, 2009 at 12:47 pm

Great cupcake hero entry!!! yum!
#
2

oneordinaryday — September 15, 2009 at 2:04 pm

You’re right – it’s a freaking cute cupcake! I especially love that frosting and how you got it to look like a scoop of ice cream. Nicely done!
This is my first CH and I can’t wait till the voting begins! : )
#
3

Amanda — September 15, 2009 at 2:49 pm

Wow, what a yummy looking cupcake! Great idea!
#
4

oneparticularkitchen — September 15, 2009 at 4:14 pm

This is ADORABLE!! I love it!
#
5

Xiaolu — September 15, 2009 at 5:08 pm

Gorgeous cupcake, Jen! I love how the cherry stands out. How do you get that black background if you don’t mind me asking? I’m pretty new to this food photography thing 8)
#
6

Amy Kingman — September 15, 2009 at 5:41 pm

Yummmm!!!!!
#
7

Jen — September 15, 2009 at 5:51 pm

Xiaolu – It’s actually just my black table. I’ve also had luck using a plain black piece of construction paper (most of my backgrounds are the 12×12 scrap-booking papers) or a black towel to get the background all black.

Here is an example using paper, and one using a towel.
#
8

Xiaolu — September 15, 2009 at 5:59 pm

Thanks! That’s really helpful.
#
9

Joanna — September 15, 2009 at 8:28 pm

Yum! Great idea 🙂
#
10

Stephanie Wagner — September 15, 2009 at 10:44 pm

Awesome idea!
#
11

bcallegra — September 16, 2009 at 2:04 am

Very creative and it looks great!
#
12

The Novice Chef — September 16, 2009 at 3:15 am

What a cute idea! I love it!! And I know my nieces would be in love!
#
13

nutmegnanny — September 16, 2009 at 3:33 am

Great idea…they look delicious!
#
14

jesstyler — September 16, 2009 at 4:08 am

holy deliciousness! I NEED one of those! 🙂
#
15

Kerstin — September 16, 2009 at 4:48 am

How creative, I love them! So cute and tasty with that cherry on top!
#
16

Ingrid — September 16, 2009 at 3:14 pm

Very cute looking! I like your idea.
~ingrid
#
17

lifeoftheparty — September 16, 2009 at 7:25 pm

These cupcakes are pure genius… you’ve definitely got my vote!
#
18

Jigginjessica — September 17, 2009 at 12:34 am

Cute idea! What a great entry!
#
19

thegreatpantryraid — September 17, 2009 at 7:37 pm

Wow – super cute! A lot of work, I’m sure, but such a big payoff! Great job!
#
20

Kami — September 17, 2009 at 8:32 pm

So stinkin’ cute!
#
21

Caroline — September 19, 2009 at 6:23 am

Very cute, indeed and loving the pineapple in the frosting. I can just imagine how delicious this would taste. What a great idea.
#
22

Keiara Wells — September 19, 2009 at 5:57 pm

MMM, it looks fantastic! I’ll have to try this one 🙂 xox
#
23

Sweet and Savory — October 15, 2009 at 5:55 am

These cupcakes are precious besides, I am sure, being delicious. What a great idea.