Recipe – Samoa – Girls Scout cookie

February 10, 2013 in recipes

Its that time of year again, when little girls trap you at the exit of the markets, at the doorstep of your house, and even at your work.  With their big smiley face they ask you to buy boxes of cookies and you end up buying multiple boxes… from every girl scout girl you see…ok maybe not that bad.  Its the time of year when we can stock up on our favorite Girls Scout Cookies.  Some boxes are eaten immediately, and others get comfortable in the freezer.  My favorite by far has to be the Samoas (Caramel Delights)..[who decided to change the name of these cookies anyways]? Last Saturday, I woke up with a craving for some caramel/coconut/chocolate perfections.  Not wanting to drive out to a market in search for some GS girls selling them, I decided to bake some of my own (or at least something similar).  They definitely taste healthier and are less sweet when compared to the Samoas.  They’re a bit time consuming and can get a little messy, but they’re definitely worth it.

Side note: I thought I had all the ingredients at home, however I ended up asking my brother to go to the market for me because I was missing the main ingredient [coconut flakes]…and he came back with boxes of Samoas… -__-

ingredients:
-1 cup soften butter
-2/3 cup white sugar
-1/2 tspn vanilla extract (or almond extract)
-2 cups all purpose flour

-toasted coconut flakes (about 6oz) can use more based on how much coconut you want on your cookies
-12oz caramel balls (i found these at the market, they’re easier for
-2 tbsn milk (or more)
-pinch of salt
-melted chocolate

directions:
-preheat the oven to 350F
-in a mixing bowl, mix together butter and white sugar until smooth
-add vanilla extract and flour and mix until mixture combines into a ball
-scoop cookie dough onto baking pan and flatten top 1/4in  in height
-bake for 8-10 mins (until lightly brown)
- melt caramel and milk in a small sauce pan (add more milk for thinner consistency) over med heat. (turn off once ready)
-mix in salt and toasted coconut flakes
-spoon caramel mixture on top of each cookie
-drizzle melted chocolate on top

here’s another dessert with some thin mints i bought.  Made mini ice cream sandwiches, wrapped them individually and placed them in the freezer. Entire box of Thin Mints yields 16 sandwiches.

 

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

October 14, 2012 in recipes

side notes: Its still disgustingly hot here in Cali, but at least the nights are cooling down.  Its almost time for me to stock up on my core ingredients for baking – flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.

Happy OCTOBER!! Its by far one of my favorite months of the year. Why you ask? … Its my birthday month!! Not only that, the weather starts to cool down allowing you to put on layers and even wear boots (my favorite).  I forgot to mention, it’s also my MOTHERS birthday today ^^.

To Celebrate, here’s a prefect recipe (to take to someones birthday, or even just to eat during this lovely time of the year – FALL.  It’ll fill your kitchen with the smell of apple cider – one of my favorite fall drinks.  I found the recipe fromScrambled Henfruit so I’ll share it with you (edited version).  Its a simple recipe (fool proof really) so I hope you enjoy. 

Ingredients
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar [original recipe didnt have this, they just used 1 cup of granulated sugar.  brown sugar = chewier cookies ]
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix – all 10 packets (should be located with the teas and hot chocolates)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups all purpose flour
1 bag Kraft Caramel – (my market carried caramel balls which is perfect for this recipe) 

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line your cookie trays with parchment paper
- Whisk butter, sugars, salt, apple cider instant mix until smooth
- Slowly incorporate the eggs and vanilla extract
- Mix in the remaining dry items [flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon] into the butter mixture
- Fold in the caramel balls and refrigerate for 30 mins – allows for easy scooping
- Spoon even rounds onto parchment paper [I use a 2tsp spoon] and bake for 8 mins – I like taking my cookies out just shy of being completely baked.  Allowing it to finish baking on the tray out of the oven helps avoid crunchy cookies.

Above is the picture of the Caramel Balls.  They’re must softer than the caramel squares AND unlike the squares, they’re not individually wrapped (what a time saver)!!

Stay tuned for more fall time favorites!
Excited for my house to be filled with the scent of crisp cold air, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and apple cider.  Happy Fall~