Samoa Cookie Bars

What is it about Girl Scout cookies that gets people so crazy? As soon as cookie season starts, pint-sized dealers pop up on every corner, and suddenly everyone is fighting with each other to get their hands on as many Thin Mints, Tagalongs, and Do-Si-Dos as they can before sprinting home to devour their sugary contraband. And god forbid you try to eat someone else’s cookies without their permission… Yikes!

Maybe it’s because I never joined the Girl Scouts, but I’ve never been that wild about their cookies. I mean, I’ll eat them, and they’re delicious, but I certainly would never assault anyone for them. Plus, now that prices have risen to $4.00 a pop, it just doesn’t seem worth it to squander what little cash I carry on a single, tiny box of cookies when I can easily make my own.

Some people swear by Thin Mints, other people eat nothing but Trefoils — I, however, am a Samoas/Caramel deLites girl. To be honest, I really can’t stand coconut. Coconut milk, coconut shrimp, coconut rice, shredded coconut…you name it, I won’t eat it. Still, even I can enjoy the dreaded fruit when it’s mixed with caramel, slathered on top of buttery shortbread, and drizzled with chocolate.

For this recipe, I opted for cookie bars rather than the traditional Samoa shape because I was running late for my friend’s housewarming/dinner party and I couldn’t be bothered to roll out cookie dough and cut out the centers of every single cookie. Thankfully, a cookie’s shape doesn’t have any kind of effect on its taste, because these tasted awesome! Exactly like the Girl Scout cookie, except maybe a little more crumbly and a bit less chewy than the real deal. Still, pretty deLite-ful. Ha!