Homemade Girl Scout Samoa Cookies

This is the final course on this week's sharing of items from my 23 Things in 2011 list.  You might also know them as Caramel Delites.  Whatever you call them, we can all agree on one word: DELICIOUS.

Did you know that the reason Girl Scout Cookies are known by different names is because there are two bakeries that supply the nation with these delectable cookies?  Each manufacturer has their own names for the cookies and that's why the name is different depending on what region you're in.  Growing up as a Girl Scout myself (Troop 2180 represent!) I remember them going by both names.  Yep, I was one of those girls that sold you cookies door-to-door, at your parents' office, and even at your neighborhood Kroger.  I even have the badges to prove it :).

It's strange that I even like these cookies.  I HATE the texture of coconut but the flavor is fine by me.  I think what makes it work for me in this cookie is the fact that the coconut is completely drowned in gooey, delicious caramel.  Who can say no to that??

Yes this cookie is a little time consuming to make.  Yes, I couldn't get my holes to stay open when I baked them (I think putting them in the freezer a few minutes before baking would help them to retain their shape and therefore the hole or if you're fortunate enough to own a donut pan apparently those are awesome for this application, too).  But, that didn't make them any less appetizing...just ask my Dinner Club friends Jeff, Jackie, Toni, Ke'Mani, Scott and Emily.  They sampled these at our Luau themed Dinner Club (hey, I figured the coconut would loosely fit and it was a bonus dish anyway!).  I'd even consider making them in a bar version to save time in the future.  Taste over aesthetics any day when it's just me wanting to eat the whole batch.  Noms!

Two Years Ago: Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili - My favorite white chicken chili but watchout because it definitely packs a lot of heat!

Homemade Girl Scout Samoa Cookies

Yields: 3-1/2 to 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Up to 2 Tbps milk

For the Topping

• 3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
• 12 oz good-quality chewy caramels (I used the Kraft ones)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 8 oz dark or semisweet chocolate (chips are okay)

Directions

To make the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed followed by the vanilla and milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it's possible you may not need any milk at all).  The dough should come together in a soft, not-too-sticky ball.  Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.  
3. Roll the dough (working in 2-3 batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4" thickness and use a 1 1/2" cookie cutter to make rounds.  Place  on a parchment lined baking sheet and use the end of a wide straw to cut a smaller center hole.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.  
4. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set.  If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.  Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To top and decorate the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
3. Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.
4. While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.  Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Source: Baking Bites

Stuffed Chicken Marsala

Here's this week's second item off of my 23 Things in 2011 list that I'm posting this week.  This is a blinged out version of chicken marsala.  If you know anything about me, you'll know that not only do I love mushrooms but I also love CHEESE and anything using sun-dried tomatoes.  So, when I saw this recipe on Joelen's blog it was a no-brainer that this would be the recipe that I made to check that chicken marsala off my list.  The fact that it's an original Olive Garden recipe made it a bonus.

It was ridiculously good.  Like...died and gone to heaven good!  I used some of the mushroom sauce to top on a side of spaghetti noodles.

Two Years Ago: Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Stuffed Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

For the Cheese Stuffing:
1/2 cup smoked shredded cheese (provolone or gouda) 
8-oz package mozzarella cheese, shredded 
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 
1/2 cup breadcrumbs 
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced 
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed 
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato, chopped (drain first if in oil) 
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sour cream (6 oz) 
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp black pepper 
For the Sauce:
1/2 large red small onion, finely chopped 
1-2 cloves garlic, minced 
2 cups Marsala wine 
1 cup heavy cream 
1 8oz container of cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced 
Salt and pepper to taste 

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts 
4 fl oz olive oil for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F and have a baking dish ready.
2. Combine all the cheese stuffing ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. To prepare the chicken, butterfly the thickest section of chicken breasts to create 2 halves. Place each breast in a large ziplock bag and pound it with the flat side of a meat mallet until ¼” - ½” thick.  Place the flattened chicken breasts on a plate and add a desired amount of cheese stuffing on one half of each chicken breast. Try not to overfill. Gently press stuffing down and fold over other half of chicken breast; it does not have to seal. Place flour in a shallow pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Dredge stuffed chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess.
4. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add oil and heat until shimmering. Saute the flour coated chicken breasts in the preheated oil, cooking until each side is golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and place in the baking dish you have on hand. Bake the browned chicken in the preheated oven for 10-20 minutes, or until juices run clear and the center of chicken reaches 165°F.
5. Meanwhile, add the onions and garlic to the cast iron skillet and stir to loosen chicken drippings. After 2 minutes, add mushrooms and fresh chopped parsley. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms begin to caramelize. Add the Marsala wine to the skillet to deglaze the pan – make sure to incorporate drippings from bottom of pan. Allow the Marsala to come to a simmer and then add the heavy cream. Simmer on low heat until reduced by half. Place the cooked chicken breasts on a plate and top each with this Marsala-mushroom sauce.

Source: Originally from Olive Garden Kitchen as adapted by and seen on What's Cookin, Chicago

French Onion Soup

I was encouraged by my husband and my friend Emily to post a midway status update on my 23 Things in 2011 List.  This is when we realized that the year is actually 3/4 of the way through.  Oh snap.  Still, worth a revisit and you can see what I've made (and blogged about) to date by checking out the link above. 

All in all, I've only made 11 of the 23 things and even worse, only blogged about 4 (after this one) to date.  Where have you guys been to hold me accountable the rest of year?!  Now it looks like I have some serious work to make up on the back end of the year if I want to even come close to achieving all 23 items!

This French onion soup was exactly as I remember it being when I went to France last year.  My brother, the French onion aficionado gave it his stamp of approval, too.

This week, I'm going to post only things from the list to help me get caught up!  See the list for a sneak peek of what this week's posts may be ;).

Two Years Ago: Sausage, Onion, and Green Pepper Fra Diavolo

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 leeks, including tender green portions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ¾ cup low-sodium beef broth
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Baguette slices, ¾-inch thick
• Sliced Gruyere cheese

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add in the sliced red onions, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have wilted. Mix in the sugar and leeks and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are completely caramelized and dark in color (about 15 more minutes). Add the garlic to the pot and sauté just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken and beef broths and red wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about 30 minutes. Discard the herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Preheat the broiler with an oven rack in the upper-middle position. Portion the soup into oven-safe bowls or crocks placed on a baking sheet. Top each serving with two baguette slices, and layer with thin slices of Gruyere cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese is browned and bubbly, 2-5 minutes. Cool a few minutes before serving.

Source: Originally from Williams Sonoma and The New Best Recipe as adapted by and as seen on Annie's Eats