When the adorable little Girl Scouts come around at this time of year selling their most amazing cookies that are so delicious I could scream, a little pain in my heart goes out to them. And really, I’m not that sentimental.. the pain doesn’t go out because I remember when I was a brownie or a daisy and I had to walk around selling those cookies.
And it doesn’t go out because I think they’re so cute with their little uniforms selling their cookies to make enough money to go on a trip or pay for some exciting adventure.
Nah… really, I’m not that cutesy and nice..
My pain goes out because I freaking LOVE. And I mean LOVE. More than anything else. Almost more than any other candy or chocolate or dessert (except for creme brulee) – Samoa Cookies (also known as Caramel Delights).
You don’t understand.
Or maybe you do.
Maybe you feel the same desire to want to throw your allergies and your intolerances out the window and just scarf down an entire box of Samoa cookies (because as we know, the likelihood of allergy free girl scout cookies is slim to one) and maybe even chew on the wrapper and box for a bit because they are really that good.
But then, like me, you remember, oh, I can’t do that. I’ll be sick for months with pain and aches and I’ll want to die – or I might die if I do that… and instead you wallow in self pity and try to scarf down as many replacement desserts as you can to try to get that taste out of your mind, but you can’t and it’s pathetic and sad.
Okay… now that the sad story of my life is over (if you’ve never had those cookies, sorry about the ranting, I swear they’re good)…. but there’s good news now!
I kicked those cookies out of the water. Ohhhh yeah.
See ya later girl scouts because I made them allergy free and they’re freaking A-double-awe-some. Eat that!!!!
These cookies are:
- Gluten free
- Soy Free
- Dairy Free
- Peanut Free
- Egg Free
- Fish Free
- Shellfish Free
- Tree Nut Free (oh yeah.. I found the way to create them without coconut)
- Vegan
Allergy Free Girl Scout Cookies: Samoa/Caramel Delights – best cookies ever!!! Ohhh yeahhhhhhh….
Makes approx 3 dozen cookies
There are a few parts to this cookie. The shortbread, the chocolate, the caramel and then the “coconut” topping
Shortbread Cookie Ingredients (start here):
- 1c white rice flour
- 1/2c sorghum (sweet white rice) flour
- 1/2c potato starch
- 1tsp xanthan gum
- 1tsp salt
- 1/4tsp baking powder
- 2c allergy free/vegan butter (or normal unsalted butter ONLY if you are not allergic or can tolerate), room temperature
- 3/4c sugar
- 1tsp water
- 1tsp vanilla
”Coconut Topping” Ingredients:
- 4 large carrots, grated
- OR.. just use coconut if you are NOT allergic… or else you won’t be able to get that real Samoa coconut taste…
Caramel Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1/4c water
- 2tbsp corn syrup
- 2tbsp rice milk
Chocolate Ingredients:
- 2 bags of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (1/2c reserved). Note. I didn’t use exactly 2 bags, but it’s better to be safe than sorry – I used about a bag and a half, or a bag and a quarter… it really depends on how much chocolate you put on the bottom of the shortbread cookie (you’ll understand better below)
I’m going to break this out in steps to make it easier to understand. Now note, these cookies have a lot of different parts to them, you’re not going to make them in an hour and be done. But you can make the shortbread cookies a day in advance and save yourself some time then. Most of the time it takes to make these is waiting for chocolate to dry, Assembling, etc…
Step #1: Make the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 325F. In a large bowl combine your flours, potato starch, xanthan, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
Separately, cream your butter with the sugar, water, and vanilla, beating until smooth. Slowly add in the dry flour mixture, continuing to beat until combined. You’ll have a very gritty sand-like texture. Remove the beaters and knead with your hands to form a large ball.
You’ll need a large flat area dusted with white rice flour. Roll your ball of dough out until approx 1/4″ thick. Using a large and a small circle cookie cutter, cut your cookies out, leaving a whole in the center (if desired) to look like the original Samoa cookies. Place on a greased cookie sheet and cook 10-12 minutes, until done. Make sure you don’t over bake these. Once they look slightly puffed, NOT browned, they are done.
Set aside to cool completely.
Step #2: Toast the “Coconut”
Line a baking sheet with foil and grease. Divide your grated carrot into thirds (you have too much to toast it all at once) and place on your sheet. Broil for several minutes until it dries. Make sure to watch it because it can quickly go from moist to burnt!!
Place in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step #3: Choco-lify the Bottoms of Your Cookies
Now that your cookies are completely cooled, place all of them upside down on a line of tin foil.
Meanwhile, over medium low, heat one bag of your chocolate chips until melted completely. Remove from heat and brush the melted chocolate on the bottoms of the cookies. Depending how thick you want your chocolate to be on the bottom, you may need to melt more chocolate. But, do this a little bit at a time because you don’t want your chocolate to cool and harden while you’re brushing it on the bottoms…
Let dry and completely harden. Flip the cookies back up so the chocolate side is laying on the foil.
Step #4: Make Your Caramel
Combine your water, sugar, and corn syrup in a non-stick sauce pan over medium low until the sugar is completely melted. Stir with a cooking safe pastry brush or spoon (coat this lightly with non-stick spray or olive oil so the caramel doesn’t melt to it).
Increase your heat to high until the mixture boils. Boil for about 10 minutes until it becomes a nice amber color. Remove from heat and add in your rice milk. Be careful because it will bubble up a bit. Stir until combined.
Quickly, add the caramel to your grated carrots (don’t add it all at once because you may have extra caramel depending on how large your carrots were. Stir until completely combined.
Next, top your cookies with your carrot/caramel mixture as quickly as possible so the caramel doesn’t harden right away.
Step #5: Drizzle the Chocolate
Melt 1/2c chocolate in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. Place into a ziploc baggie (or a small pastry bag) and cut the corner of the bag so there is a very, very tiny hole.
Squeeze the chocolate over your cookies to drizzle.
Let cool. Now try these! And let me know if you think they’re as awesome as I do with your posts below. If you knock on the Samoa / Caramel Delight cookie I might just explode.
And as you know and as I have to openly admit (because it’s like, step #1 of the Samoa Cookie Addicts Club).. I’m obsessed with Samoa cookies. I even make a Samoa cupcake sometimes and next I’m going to try a samoa ice pop and a samoa ice cream. Who knows.. I’m Samoa Crazzzeeddd..
Just look at this Samoa website I found that I’m in LOVE with –> Soo many Samoa options to choose from!
Until next time… Samoa Samoa.. I want Sa-mor-ey… yeah… I gotta stop there. It just has to stop. It’s getting cheesy.
