How to Make Your Own Girl Scout Cookie-Style Caramel deLites

I somehow missed Girl Scout Cookie season this year. I usually keep an eye out for the colorful boxes on tables outside supermarkets, but before I knew it, April was gone and so were the cookies. So I’m dedicating some time to Girl Scout Cookies, and how to impersonate them, until next year. You could probably buy a box of GSCs from Ebay or Mercari for a premium price, or you could dust off your rolling pins instead and make knock-offs with me for a lot cheaper.

Today, we're going to turn our attention to Caramel deLites, which are some of my favorites from the Girl Scout Cookie lineup. They feature a plain, crunchy cookie that’s draped in a caramel and coconut mixture, and dressed in a bit of chocolate. You might know them as Samoas. (They’re the same type of cookie, just produced by different bakeries.)

As is the case with most knock-off recipes of mass produced cookies, the homemade ones are usually more flavorful and bulkier. Despite my best efforts to make a more convincing copycat with less flavor and a more diminutive shape, the recipe I settled on is more buttery, coconut-y, and larger than the celebrity version. I even did a test batch with vegetable shortening like the ingredient list from ABC Bakers suggests, but I didn’t like them as much as I liked the butter-based recipe I made later. However, if you're looking to cut down on the butter notes (they are strong) you can try substituting half of the butter fat for shortening.

I decided to impersonate Caramel deLites with a modified shortbread dough. From what I remember, the cookie is plain, crumbly, but firm, so a simple dough sounded like a reasonable match. As much as I wanted the cookie to be closer to the ABC Bakers cookie, few people (including myself) will make an overly complicated recipe. These cookies are fantastic, but understand that they won’t give you the same straight-from-the-package flavor. Instead you’ll be met with aromas of browned butter, toasted coconut, and a whiff of dulce de leche. I know. How disappointing. 

How to make knock-off Caramel deLites (or Samoas)

1. Make the base cookie dough

Mix room temperature butter, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. The dough should ball up together and be stiff but pliable. Press it into a disc and leave it in the bowl. Let it rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

2. Make the topping

While the dough rests, make the topping. Once again, taking guidance from the ABC Baker’s ingredients, I used sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened shredded coconut to make the chewy topping. I used Let’s Do Organic brand because the pieces are smaller than something like Baker’s. Mix the sweetened condensed milk with the coconut shreds to make a thick goo. 

3. Shape the cookies

Roll out the cookie dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s about a quarter-inch thick. Scoop the coconut goo onto the cookie dough and spread it out across the surface. Now you have a two layer cookie sheet. Using a cookie cutter (I used a fluted two-inch cutter), cut through both layers. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Use a small circular cookie cutter (or a piping tip, like I did) to cut out the center hole. Put the cookies in the freezer for about 15 minutes while you preheat the oven. 

4. Bake ‘em

Bake the cookies straight out of the freezer for eight to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them in the last two minutes as they’ll be pale one second and brown in a flash. Cool them on a wire cooling rack while you make the chocolate glaze. 

5. Decorate with a chocolate stripes

I went all-in and swiped chocolate on the bottoms as well as striping the tops, but if you don’t have the patience for both, I completely understand. Just do the stripes for the classic Samoa cookie look. 

Otherwise, flip all of the cookies over and have a new piece of parchment on a dish or cutting board. I used this chocolate glaze from food.com and it worked well. Mix the oil, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and hot water together with a whisk. Working quickly, swipe chocolate onto the bottoms of all of the cookies with a rubber spatula, pastry brush, or small offset spatula. Keep the layer thin to prevent puddling. Put them chocolate-side down on the parchment. Using a spoon or a small pastry bag if you have it, drizzle the remaining chocolate topping over the cookies in a stripe pattern. (If your chocolate begins to thicken and harden, just pop it in the microwave for about 10 or 15 seconds to liquify it again.) Cool the cookies at room temperature for 20 minutes, or in the fridge for five.

These knock-off cookies become more “convincing” if they cool completely, but their buttery flavor is more enjoyable when they’re freshly finished. It’s up to you. If you have the patience, give them plenty of time to cool. If not, you’ll still be a winner in the end.

Copycat Samoa or Caramel deLite Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

For the cookie dough:

• ¼ cup sugar

• ½ cup butter, room temperature

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coconut topping:

• ¾  cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

• ½  cup sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate drizzle:

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons hot water

1. Mix room temperature butter, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, and salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Press it into a disc and pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes.

2. While the dough rests, mix the sweetened condensed milk and shredded coconut in a small bowl to make a thick goo. 

3. Roll out the cookie dough on a lightly floured surface to a quarter-inch thickness. Spread the coconut goo onto the cookie dough to make a double layer. Using a round cookie cutter, cut through both layers. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Use a smaller circular cookie cutter, cut out the center hole. Put the cookies in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 F. After the cookies have chilled, bake the cookies straight out of the freezer for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool them on a wire cooling rack while you make the chocolate glaze. 

5. Mix the oil, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and hot water together with a whisk. Working quickly, swipe chocolate onto the bottoms of all of the cookies. Put them chocolate-side down on a piece of parchment. Use a spoon or a small pastry bag to drizzle the remaining chocolate topping over the cookies in a stripe pattern. Cool the cookies completely. Peel them off the parchment and enjoy.