If you like those Girl Scout Samoa cookies, you will love these gluten-free Samoa Bars!
- 14 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
- 1 package Pamela’s Pecan Shortbread
- 14 oz. caramels
- 3 cups sweetened flake coconut
- 3 TBSP water
Yield:
Line a cookie sheet pan with parchment paper. Draw an 8 inch square in the middle. Flip the paper over on cookie sheet and set aside.
Toast coconut to golden brown in a non-stick pan, stirring constantly or toast in 350° oven on parchment covered sheet pan; stir at 10 minutes and then every 3 minutes until evenly browned. Set aside to cool in a large bowl.
Chop and melt chocolate, using your preferred method of microwave or double boiler. Once melted, pour 80% of the chocolate into the center of the square on the parchment on cookie sheet. Set leftover chocolate aside for later. Spread the melted chocolate to the edge of the square, leaving the edges a bit thicker than the center. Gently press Pamela’s Shortbread cookies into the chocolate, three across and three down, covering the chocolate. Set aside.
Melt caramels and 3 TBSP water in a small saucepan, stirring the whole time. DO NOT over-heat the caramel or it will get stiff. Once water is mixed in and all the caramel is melted, pour over toasted coconut and stir until all incorporated. Spread mixture over cookies and chocolate, by spooning mounds over cookies and then spreading and pushing topping gently to enclose the cookies.
Re-melt remaining chocolate and drizzle across coconut-caramel topping. Place in refrigerator to set up; the chocolate will be hard.
Once set up, cut through the middle, turn quarter turn and cut through the middle again. Now cut those quarters into quarters, making 16 large bars (cut again into strips or squares if you want smaller bars). Store in a cool spot in an airtight container, with layers of wax paper in-between bars.
© Pamela's Products, Inc.