gimme samoa.

March is not only the month bearing the luck and heavy hangover of St. Patrick's Day, it is the time of year that Girl Scout cookie orders arrive!  That should be a holiday in itself.  I am surprised there isn't a National Girl Scout Day but they should aim for March to boost those cookie sales (like they need to, those things are cookie crack).
Debate: the best Girl Scout cookie.  I have a really difficult time with this but ultimately side with the Samoa (Peanut Butter Sandwich and Tagalong tie for second).  It has the mandatory butter cookie base, a thick caramel congeal, coconut and chocolate.  They are perfect in their half crunchy, half chewy loveliness.  As the boxes have gotten smaller, I am closer and closer to being able to polish off a row or three in a day.  It is probably for the best that we did not order any this year and succumb to the cutie cookie pushers.
Always searching for nutritional info, I discovered that not only are the Girl Scout yummies baked by two companies, they have varying nutritionals, varying names (Samoa = Caramel deLite = LAME, Tagalongs = Peanut Butter Patties) and even varying varieties of cookies (I almost panicked after not seeing info for the above Peanut Butter Sandwiches and realized the other company made them).  Children need consistency, Girl Scouts!  My OCD tendencies need consistency, Girl Scouts!  Come on, let's make up our minds here.  Actually, let's just agree that whatever they made in the 1970s was the best cookie lineup.  After my embarrassingly short stint in Brownies (I failed to bridge to GS) where my mother went from cookie assistant to "Mommy Dearest, head cookie mom and door-to-door driver of half of the troop," the cookies seemed to go all wonky in the flavor department.  Remember those strawberry jam things?  They were OK, I suppose, but my grandma can do way better.  Not a fan of the square animal cookies with the chocolate back.  Then there was a lame version of the lemon cremes, which may still be around.
Getting to the point, replicating these de-lites, har, har, has been done and it is both fun and a bit aggravating if they are not perfect looking.  I have loved cupcakes long before the trend (really, who hasn't?) and wanted to shake things up by making a Samoa one.  Fortunately, the recipe was out there when I searched to see if I would have to experiment.   This recipe takes a little time but is so worth it.  I have made them a couple times, in fact, and the leftovers can be used for new concoctions!  So while you are reading this, think and tell me, what is your preferred Girl Scout cookie?

Samoas® Cupcakes

adapted from Chockylit (via the Chronicle) and Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans
Yield: 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
cupcakes
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg + 1 large yolk (I use 1 1/2 servings liquid egg product)
1 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, room temp.
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C light sour cream

toasted coconut topping
* Note: this is half of the recipe, if you want the huge mounds of coconut as seen on Chokylit's blog, just double it.
1 egg (1/4 C liquid egg)
5 oz evaporated milk
2/3 C sugar
1/4 C butter
1 1/2 C shredded, sweet coconut

caramel 
*I use this caramel recipe any time I need a caramel topping or filling.  It is the best I have found so far.  Heavy cream is a must ( I have tried to sub) sorry for you dieters out there but I guess you wouldn't be making this anyway!
1/4 C water
1 C sugar
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 C heavy cream
1 T butter

chocolate ganache
8 oz bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao)
1 C heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cupcake pan or insert paper liners.
cupcakes

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg and yolk and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes.  

3. On low speed, mix in butter and vanilla until blended.  

4. Mix in sour cream until no white streaks remain.  

5. Mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter is smooth.

6. Fill liners with about 1/4 C batter, or three-fourths full.

7. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until the tops feel firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

toasted coconut topping 
1. Spread the coconut onto a sheet pan. Toast in a 350 degree oven, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the coconut is an even brown color, about 10 minutes.
2. Crack the egg into a small saucepan and beat lightly to break up.
3. Add milk, sugar, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick, bubbly, and golden, about 15 minutes.
4. Press mixture through a metal sieve and into a bowl to remove any lumps.
5. Add 2 cups of the coconut, reserving the remainder for assembly, stir to combine.
6. Let the mixture cool.

caramel
1. Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
3. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
5. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.
6. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
7. CAREFULLY pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan, and be careful. The mixture will bubble up significantly.
8. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter and stir until combined.
9. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.
Note: You will have leftover caramel, it stores well refrigerated in an airtight container for about a month.

chocolate ganache
1. Chop chocolate and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Let cool to room temperature.

assemble
1. Using a small paring knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone. (I have taken the liberty of pushing down the inside of the cupcake before after this step to add more caramel than directed in Step 2)
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon of caramel.
3. Replace the top of the cone.
4. Smooth on a light coating of chocolate ganache.
5. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to harden the ganache.
6. With your hands, press out a disk of the coconut topping and place on top of the cupcake. Press to shape the mixture into a dome.
7. Press in some more plain toasted coconut on top of that.
8. Drizzle the top with lines of ganache. Note that you may have to warm the ganache over a water bath to get it to drizzling consistency.


If you have any question on methods and techniques, the Cupcake Bakeshop Blog is amazing and several of the steps are illustrated with beautiful photography.
These may be better than eating a row of Samoas.

Last note: These things are pretty hefty in the nutrition info.  I have taken the time in the past to calculate it all out and it wasn't pretty.  When I have more time I may do it again but let's just say that if you're worried, cut the thing in half or make minis!  Seriously though, if you've made it this far, I think you can dare to eat one and then go hightail it on the elliptical.