Lazy Samoas
Vegan alternative to Girl Scout Samoas. It's missing the shortbread cookie part, but it's still really delicious. Actually, I like them even better than the Girl Scout version, and I don't feel guilty... well, not as guilty.
Vegan alternative to Girl Scout Samoas. It's missing the shortbread cookie part, but it's still really delicious. Actually, I like them even better than the Girl Scout version, and I don't feel guilty... well, not as guilty.
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 cups grated unsweetened coconut (i've used fresh grated coconut, too, in which case i used a bit more coconut, i think. they were still great.)
- 1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup nondairy milk
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- for decorating
- 2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil
- Carbohydrate 16.1954462684195 g
- Cholesterol 0.5 mg
- Fat 2.40246250213876 g
- Fiber 0.556525004462576 g
- Protein 0.6193900004588 g
- Saturated Fat 1.33665650108193 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (30g)
- Sodium 651.521930557166 mg
- Sugar 15.638921263957 g
- Trans Fat 0.106874500097307 g
- Calories 81 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium-low heat and toast the coconut in it until it is golden brown, occasionally stirring the coconut. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Remove the coconut and pour it onto a platter to prevent it from continuing to cook. Let cool.
- In a large bowl, cream the 1/3 cup coconut oil and brown sugar. Add nondairy milk, flax seeds, and vanilla until well-blended and smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients to form a thick batter. Fold in the coconut.
- Scoop about 1 Tbsp of dough at a time onto the baking sheets. Space cookies 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie with the back of a measuring cup and use your finger to make a hole in the center. Bake for 8 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Transfer the cookies onto waxed paper. Then place them onto a cutting board or other firm, flat surface that will fit inside your refrigerator.
- While the cookies are cooling, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler.
- Stir the 2 Tbsp coconut oil into the meted chocolate. Let the chocolate cool for 5 minutes to thicken. Dip cookie bottoms into the chocolate and return them to the wax paper. When you are done with all the cookies, drizzle the remaining chocolate on top of the cookies.
- Chill cookies for at least 30 minutes to firm up the chocolate.
Allowing grated coconut to sit unattended in a hot pan guarantees scorched edges and bitter tasting notes. Constant movement over medium-low heat ensures even browning across every shred by utilizing uniform heat conduction. Removing toasted flakes immediately from the hot skillet stops residual thermal carryover from turning the sugar content dark and acrid.
The Chocolate Viscosity Factor
Stirring unrefined coconut oil directly into melted chocolate alters the fat crystallization structure significantly upon cooling. Adding this extra fat lowers the melting point slightly, creating a fluid consistency that coats cookie bottoms evenly without pooling too thickly. Allowing the melted mixture to rest for five minutes thickens the liquid just enough to prevent runoff when dipping baked rings. Dipping requires a gentle hand to preserve the structural integrity of the center hole formed prior to baking. Chilling the finished batch for thirty minutes solidifies the cocoa butter crystals rapidly for a clean snap.
- Freezing baked rings before dipping helps maintain rigidity if ambient kitchen temperatures exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Storing coated rings in an airtight container with parchment sheets between layers prevents humidity degradation for up to five days.
- Reheating chilled cookies damages the chocolate sheen; serve them directly from refrigerator storage for optimal snap.
