Grl Scout Samoa's

Samoa's are my all time favorite girl scout cookie.  And we don't have a girl scout in the family or apparently don't know any who try to sell to us, there are some years I don't get them at all!  So after searching around on the internet I settled on one posted over on grouprecipes.com.  It's not a true girl scout copycat since it doesn't start with some sort of shortbread cookie, but the gooey caramel and coconut is my favorite part anyway!  They didn't take too long to make- although I BROKE my candy thermometer when I got it out of the drawer to make these so it was a bit of a trial.  Successful in the end!

I made most of mine in mini cupcake papers- they are a bit messy to form into circles and they stayed gooeyier like this.

Ingredients

---

• 6 tblsp butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 of a 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups toasted coconut
• 1 cup semi-sweet chips
  

• In a 2 quart saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, sugar and corn syrup.
• Heat to a full boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Slowly pour in condensed milk, stirring constantly. Continue cooking over low heat until candy thermometer reaches 220-228 degrees.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Beat until creamy. Immediately stir in toasted coconut and mix well.
• Spoon by tablespoonfuls into circular mounds onto buttered wax paper. Flatten slightly. With the end of a wooden spoon, poke a small round hole into the center of each cookie.  Or put them into mini cupcake papers.
• Cool completely.
• Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle thinly in stripes over cookies. Let chocolate harden at room temperature. Store in a airtight container.
• To toast coconut: Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes.