not so lazy samoas

Here I am, over a month after the holidays, still on a cookie baking spree. Because "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar" hasn't left my kitchen counter in weeks, I decided it was time to do something useful with all these cookies. I was inspired by a local vegan outreach group who prepares and serves a vegan meal to a different non-profit group each month. This month they chose the domestic violence shelter I work for, which was so exciting. All of the women who attended the support group where the food was served really enjoyed it, and I thought that the connection between healthy food, healthy bodies, and healthy minds created a really strong platform for empowering women to take control of their lives.

After following up with the vegan outreach group to participate next month, I figured that I could continue providing our support group participants with something yummy and cruelty free on a regular basis. This week I decided I would showcase some of my favorite vegan cookies - oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip (from "The Joy of Vegan Baking" ), and Samoas.

The flavor of the Lazy Samoas from "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar" is perfect, but I find myself missing that buttery crunch of shortbread that's hidden beneath the all of the coconut-caramel-chocolate goodness in the original girl scout version. Getting it right took a lot of experimenting, but finally I have reached vegan girl scout cookie perfection: gooey toasted coconut covering a buttery layer of shortbread coated in rich chocolate drizzles. This one will be sure to please even the toughest cookie connoisseur.

Not So Lazy Samoas

Shortbread* (layer 1)

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup Unbleached Pastry Flour
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2+ Tbsp Orange Juice

Using a hand mixer, cream the coconut oil until light and creamy.
Add the powdered sugar and continue to mix for about a minute.
Mix in vanilla and sugar until well combined.
In a separate bowl combine flours, nutritional yeast and salt.
Combine wet and dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
If dough is crumbly, add more orange juice 1 tsp at a time until the consistency is dough like.
Roll out the dough as thin as possible without tearing.
Using a 1 1/2" diameter round cookie cutter, cut into circles.
Re-roll the dough and cut into circles one or two more times.
Arrange dough circles on un-greased cookie sheets.

Gooey Coconut (layer 2)

Follow the recipe for the batter for Lazy Samoas from "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar." Substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for the 1 cup of all purpose flour.

Putting It All Together

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake shortbread cookie dough for 4 minutes and remove from oven.
Top each shortbread with a spoonful of coconut mixture and flatten out to cover the shortbread.
Press a hole into the center of the coconut mixture using the handle of a spoon.
Bake for 8 more minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Cover a cutting board (or other flat mobile surface) with wax paper.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, transfer them to the wax paper.

Chocolate Drizzle (layer 3)

12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Using the microwave on medium heat or a double boiler, melt the chocolate.
Dip each cookie into the chocolate to coat the bottom and return to the wax paper.
After all of the cookie bottoms are coated, transfer the remaining chocolate into a plastic bag.
Cut the very corner of the bag so that the chocolate will easily pour out in a small stream when the bag is squeezed.
Carefully drizzle the top of each cookie with several rows of chocolate.
Transfer the cutting board (with the cookies on top) to the refrigerator.
Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes to firm up the chocolate.
Devour.

Yields 3 dozen cookies.

*I adapted this recipe from the Buttery Shortbread Cookies in "Skinny Bitch In the Kitch."