Samoa Cupcakes With Mini Samoa Toppers

These are two facts of life that are not debatable in my world:
1. Joe McIntyre is/was the best New Kid on the Block. End of story, debate settled.
2. Samoa Girl Scout Cookies are the tastiest of the little treasure boxes offered once a year.
Knowing this, I stumbled on this recipe at Santasgiftshoppe blog for homemade Samoas (she has lots of homemade girl scout versions, and great picture tutorials). I immediately became a follower of the blog, made a comment, then added it to my 'to do NOW' pile.
I thought about how I could add some of myself to this recipe...and I don't mean inches to my hips. Adding that to myself goes without saying. I decided to make a cupcake Samoa version, and add these little beauties to the top...in mini-form. This also prevented me from having to use the stash of cookies currently in my freezer, sitting right next to my cadberry egg collection.
CHOCOLATE COCONUT CUPCAKES

I used a boxed chocolate cake mix, and just added 1 c. of coconut to the wet ingredients. I debated making a shortening cooking bottom, but I think that might have been a little extreme, even for me. I baked, per usual.
SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM ICING (3 c.)

(From Southern Living)
1. Mix 1/2 c butter (softened), 3 oz cream cheese (softened), 2 t. vanilla, 1/4 t. kosher salt.
2. Graduallay add 16 oz of powdered sugar, and 3 T of milk.
3. In a separate microwaveable bowl melt 15 caramels and 1 T of milk at 30 second intervals. Stir ever 30 seconds. This takes about 1 1/2 minutes. Fold into icing.
*I doubled the above recipe because I believe more is more.
MELTED CHOCOLATE

Melt 1 c. of chocolate chips in a ziplock bag. Pull out every 30 seconds and mash until well melted. Cut a small slit in the corner, and zig zag back and forth across the cupcakes, and cookies.
COOKIES

*I halved the following recipe.
Cookies: 1 c. butter (softened), 1/2 c. sugar, 2 c. flour, 1/4 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 t. vanilla. Mix with a mixer, and add up to2 T of milk if it is too dry. Santasgiftshop used a straw to cut the middles, I used my round fondant cutters since I wanted baby cookies.

I could have made them a little thinner. I didn't. Thin isn't exactly a word I use often. Even though I made (mostly) mini cookies, they baked about the same amount of time. Melt 1/3 c. chocolate chips, dip bottoms of cookies in chocolate, and let dry upside down before adding topping.
Coconut/Caramel Topping
1. Melt 12 oz of chewy caramels, 1/4 t. salt, and 3 T milk in the microwave. Stir in 3 c. of shredded coconut. Spread on cookies.
Chocolate
*See above. 1 c. was enough for my cookies, and cupcakes.
If you are keeping a calorie count, why? But if you are, I took these up to work for some of the other ladies who are in the midst of the testing crunch. I'm on a serious (snicker) diet, I can't have these sort of things hanging out with me. Uhhh, I've been on this 'diet' since I was 11, I might need to rethink my game plan.

Last:
Of course, after making my cupcakes, I googled this idea, and found I'm not the first...by a long shot, to think of this, but I'm OK with being a part of this exclusive club, and not the leader. I can understand how Samoa's motivated many a person in years past, and am glad to live in a world with people who share my thought process, and love of coconut, caramel, chocolate, shortening goodness!
Linking To:
Underthetableanddreaming
BetweenNapsOnthePorch


Sweet Thursdays