Samoas Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

My sister Rebe and I used to sell Girl Scout Cookies door to door. We’d take our red Radio Flyer Wagon out of the garage, stuff it with colorful boxes of cookies, and pull it up and down the street. I’m honestly surprised we didn’t eat cookies as we went; we were such cookie monsters.

My cookie of choice was a tie between Thin Mints and Samoas (also known as Caramel deLites). Some days I wanted that delicious chocolate crunch, while others I craved sweet coconut caramel.

Rebe and my mom, on the other hand, were Samoa girls through and through. Rebe would eat 8 in one sitting, if not more (I literally just texted her to confirm the amount and she goes “yeah prob.”). She was obsessed. I even remember one year we thought we were out of cookies, and then my mom found a hidden box of Samoa’s and we literally rejoiced.

2017 marks the 100^th Anniversary for Girl Scout Cookie sales, so in commemoration of the best boxed cookies around, I created this Samoa-inspired recipe with my friends at Challenge Dairy.

A cooperative of California family-owned dairies founded more than 100 years ago, Challenge is proud to sell its products nationally. To find retailers near you, visit www.challengedairy.com/where-to-buy.

I’ve now worked with Challenge for 6 months, and behind the scenes I’ve used their butter in every recipe since becoming an ambassador. From cakes to shortbreads, their butter makes fantastic baked goods.

These Samoas Ice Cream Sandwiches are time-consuming, but the result is SO worth it. A little patience goes a long way in this copycat recipe that- in my eyes- rivals the original.

Of course if you don’t want ice cream sandwiches, you can simply make the cookies on their own. I myself saved a few for snacking on throughout the week 🙂

Samoas Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

Print It

Author: Sarah Fennel
Yield: 15 cookies

Author: Sarah Fennel
Yield: 15 cookies

Units:

Ingredients

for the ice cream

1 quart, softened

for the shortbread

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 cup Challenge unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour

for the coconut caramel

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons Challenge unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

for the chocolate

2 cups dark chocolate chips (DARK, guys. semisweet and bittersweet will be too sugary)
2 teaspoons coconut oil

Instructions

freeze ice cream

Line a 9″x13″ baking pan with plastic wrap so that the sides and bottoms are completely covered. Place softened ice cream into pan, then push into pan with the back of a flat-bottomed pot until the ice cream has fully molded to the pan. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

make cookies

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the confectioner’s sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla extract until creamy, about two minutes. Mix in flour for 20 seconds, allowing the gluten to form.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Place dough on top of plastic wrap, then place another large piece of plastic wrap on top. Using a rolling pin, roll dough between two pieces of plastic wrap to 1/8 of an inch thick.
Use a 2.5 inch biscuit cutter to cut cookies and place them on prepared cookie sheets. Reform excess dough into a ball, then roll out again and cut more cookies. Should end up with 30 cookies. Use the open end of a large metal piping tip to cut out the middle of the cookies once on the sheet. They should look like donuts!
Bake cookies for 10 minutes, then allow to cool completely on cookie sheet.

make coconut caramel

In a small saucepan, heat the sugar on low heat until completely melted, swirling the pan gently every 20 seconds or so. Immediately remove from heat and stir in butter. The mixture will violently bubble. You’re doing it right.
Pour in the heavy cream. Stir until combined. Stir in coconut flakes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Time to get out the plastic wrap again! Place a large piece of plastic wrap on work surface. Pour caramel on top of plastic wrap, then place another large piece of plastic wrap on top. Using a rolling pin, roll caramel between two pieces of plastic wrap to 1/8 of an inch thick.
Use biscuit cutter to cut out circles of caramel. Place on cooled shortbread, using a finger to push through the center.

melt the chocolate

Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil over a double boiler until melted. Dip the bottom of each cookie into melted chocolate, wiping excess chocolate on the side. Place cookies onto parchment paper. Once each cookie is dipped, drizzle with remaining melted chocolate. Allow chocolate to harden completely.
Take ice cream out of freezer. Remove ice cream from baking pan, then use biscuit cutter to cut ice cream into circles. Sandwich between two cookies. Serve immediately, or freeze in a container for up to a month!

This post was sponsored by Challenge Dairy. All text and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make Broma possible!