Samoa Cupcakes

      Can you just dive into a blog without doing an intro post? Yes, yes you can.

I love Samoas. As a kid, I could successfully eat an entire box of those sinfully delecious treats if my parents hadn’t already noticed my fat kid tendencies. 20 years later, I’m in the living room with a bunch of friends drinking wine and playing a board game when out came the Samoas. Girl Scout season was upon us and the cookies were devoured in haste. So I dug up some recipies and devised a plan for for a cupcake that could attempt to reach the supreme excellence of those damn cookies.
I settled for a white chocolate cake from The Fig Tree and got my “coconut salsa” from Katrina’s Kitchen and her homemade cookies.

Samoa cupcakes

White Chocolate Cake

• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/3 C unsalted butter (room temp)
• 3/4 C granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 oz good quality white chocolate, chopped and melted
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 C + 1 TBLS milk

First, set the oven to 325 degrees and line your cupcake tins (I made about 21 cupcakes). Basic cake drill, combine the dry (flour, baking powder, and salt) and set to the side. Prep your chocolate to be melted whichever way you choose (double boiler, microwavy, heat vision) and get to work. Next time I make these, I’ll try heating my milk and using THAT to melt down the chocolate but I figured first time I make them, I better follow my instructions. While that is working, cream your butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs until incorporated. Then add the melted chocolate (the original recipie calls for 4, but I like to live on the edge).

Here is a hint for those of you who, like myself, find half used bags of chocolate chips around the house. Don’t.Use.The.Chips. Seriously. Invest in some good white chocolate because trying to melt old white chocolate “morsals” will not only make you gag as they shine in the heat, but will also make you wonder how much of this chip is actually wax. It’s enough to ruin Toll House for anyone.

 

After your chocolate is added, toss in the vanilla and mix at a medium speed for about 2 minutes. After, start to add your flour and milk, alternated and scraping the sides to ensure maxium batter production. With everything combine, fill your tins. I like to use an old ice cream scooper so I don’t have an array of baking times. Bake until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean (about 22 minutes). Let them cool and toast your coconut.

Coconut “Frosting”

• 2 C shredded coconut (packed)
• 12-oz chewy caramels
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp milk
• 4 oz. chocolate

What do I mean by 2 C packed? You know how you would pack brown sugar into a measuring cup? Similar to that but, this time, with shredded coconut. I chose to toast my coconut in a pan since the last time I attempted to toast something in the oven (almonds) it ended in a pan full of ashes. Toast (a little over low heat) and toss often and eventually, you’ll get a nice brown pan coconut disguised as hasbrowns.
Remove from heat and let it cool. In a sauce pan add your milk, salt, and unwrapped caramels, stirring occasionally over low heat. I went from wooden spoon to whisk until it was melted. I also added more milk to thin down the sauce (personal preference) so use some judgement here. Once all the caramels are melted into sauce form, fold in the coconut (about 1/2 C at a time) till you are satisfied with the caramel to coconut ratio. I ended up using all the coconut and had I toasted more, I might have used that as well.

Here comes the fun part. Remember those cupcakes you let cool? Now you get to spoon hot magma coconut salsa onto them. Let the frosting cool for a minute, then use about a spoonfull on each. Try to work quickly cause the caramel mess is easier to manipulate while warm.

In a microwave safe bowl, add your chocolate and a spash of milk. Microwave at 10 second intervals, stiring in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth enough to drizzel. Once again, I found old chocolate bars in the pantry and decided to put them to good use (about 3oz milk chocolate and 1oz semisweet).

 

 Once melted, drizzel chocolate over the tops of each cupcake.

 

Until Next Time