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Organic, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Paleo Recipes and Thyroid Health

The Unprocessed Kitchen: Homemade “Samoas” (Grain Free, Paleo, Primal)

Homemade Samoas - a grain-free shortbread cookie topped with homemade caramel, toasted coconut and drizzled in chocolate.

Today, we close our Unprocessed Kitchen series. Over the last two months, we’ve discussed cookware, bakeware, soups, salads, meats, beverages, baby formula, fermented foods, breads, sugars, the GAPS diet, reading the labels, and how to change to unprocessed foods. I think it’s important to remember that eating an unprocessed, organic diet doesn’t have to mean giving up the foods many of us grew up eating. While it’s very important to eat sweets and treats in moderation, I’m a firm believer that you can recreate your favorite processed foods using unprocessed ingredients. Here are a few of my favorites I’ve published over the years on this site:

Chia Seed Pudding
Pecan Pie
Homemade Mocha Frappe
Hazelnut Frangipane Tart with Peaches and Creme Fraiche
Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd and Whipped Cream
Chocolate Chip Walnut Blondies

Recently, I’ve missed Girl Scout Cookies. The little girl in her green vest, the excitement in her eyes when you place an order, and of course, your favorite little sweets arriving a few weeks later on your doorstep. A few years ago, we stopped ordering because of the unhealthy oils, GMOs, preservatives, etc. in the cookies. My favorite has always been the little shortbread cookie topped with chewy caramel, coconut and smooth chocolate. Now we can enjoy an iconic favorite with more wholesome ingredients.

Homemade Samoas - a grain-free shortbread cookie topped with homemade caramel, toasted coconut and drizzled in chocolate.

Makes about twenty-two 2 1/2-inch cookies

Homemade “Samoas” (Grain Free, Paleo, Primal)

This recipe is a bit more hands-on than some, but it's such a fun little project. If you want to simplify things, you can skip the "dipping the cookies in the chocolate" step, or not cut out a small hole in the center of the cookie (this makes for easier spreading of the coconut and caramel). I used coconut sugar in this recipe because it has a lower glycemic index than other less processed sugars. You can substitute the coconut sugar for sucanat.

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Ingredients

    For the cookie dough:
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar or sucanat
  • 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (I prefer Bernard Jensen or Great Lakes )
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into tablespoons (or 6 tablespoons of cold coconut oil for Paleo and dairy free)
    • For the Caramel:
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup coconut sugar or sucanat
  • 1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted
    • For the Chocolate:
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (I prefer Trader Joe's or Equal Exchange chocolate because they don't contain soy)
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Place almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, gelatin, arrowroot and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times to combine. Add butter and process until dough forms a ball. ?Form dough into a 9-inch flat disk. Wrap tightly (I like to use a layer of parchment paper and then plastic wrap). Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust rack to middle position. Dust a large surface with a bit of arrowroot and roll out to 1/4-inch thick. Cut cookies with a round 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter and then cut out the center with a small 1/2-inch round cookie cutter (I used the back end of a piping tip ) and carefully transfer cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until just turning golden brown on the edges. Cool completely.
  3. Meanwhile, pour water and coconut sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to medium-high. Simmer sugar mixture until it reaches 270 degrees F (do not constantly stir the mixture while it simmers, this will cause the caramel to be grainy). While sugar mixture is simmering, pour cream in a small saucepan and bring to a low simmer. When sugar mixture reaches 270 degrees F, slowly pour hot cream into sugar mixture (it will bubble a bit). Whisk the caramel and continue to cook for about 1 minute, until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Pour 1/2 cup of the caramel into a measuring cup and pour the rest of the caramel into a medium bowl. Stir toasted coconut into the caramel that is in the medium bowl.
  4. Stir together the melted chocolate and coconut oil until smooth. Using your hands, dip the bottom of each cookie into the chocolate mixture. Quickly flip each cookie with your hands and place chocolate-side up on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. Place chocolate-dipped cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes (this will help the chocolate firm up quickly).
  5. When chocolate is firm, turn each cookie over. Carefully spread a small amount of caramel on each cookie (using the caramel in the measuring cup). Let the cookies sit for 10 minutes. Then, spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the coconut mixture onto each cookie (I used a very small spoon for this step). Drizzle chocolate over cookies. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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https://deliciouslyorganic.net/homemade-samoas-grain-free-paleo/

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39 Comments

  4. Amy G.

    March 7, 2013 at 12:44 pm

    Hi Carrie -Do you know if arrowroot and xanthan gum are interchangeable when used in recipes to hold gluten free sweets together?Also, your antique servingware and silverware always, always catch my eye, almost as much as the food does! You have some of the most beautiful pieces I've ever seen. Where do you find them?Thank you!
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      March 7, 2013 at 12:57 pm

      Arrowroot and xanthan gum are not interchangeable. Arrowroot is a starch and will give a nice "crunch" or lighter texture to a baked good. Xanthan gum will help bind the ingredients together. For this recipe, you can leave out the arrowroot, but the cookie won't be as "crunchy" as intended.Thank you for the kind words! I found this pan on Ebay. It's an old Ovenex pan. I do quite a bit of Ebay shopping for props. It's a great way to find them cheap! :)
      Reply to this comment

  6. Ellen

    March 7, 2013 at 2:43 pm

    This would be another great use for my donut cutter! I got is for $3.50 from Amazon and it is well beloved around here... and saves so much time by cutting out the centres automatically!
    Reply to this comment

  8. Rachael {Simply Fresh Cooking}

    March 7, 2013 at 4:59 pm

    I think these would be worth every bit of effort it takes to make them. I wish I would have seen this post a week ago. I haven't bought Girl Scout cookies in years, but I recently saw Samoas on another food blog, and I just had to have them!!! Now I'm all upset that I had my hubs get them for me and I totes regret it. At this point, I'm just trying to eat them up so I can move on with my life and forget it ever happened. Lol. I think they contain trans fat, too, right? I heard it's such small amount that they're not required to put it on the label. I just hate thinking about all of this junk in my body, but those darn cookies still taste good. :)Anywho, I'm going to bookmark your awesome recipe so I can be ready the next time I feel like I "need" them. ;)
    Reply to this comment

      • Kate

        March 11, 2013 at 8:46 am

        I went ahead and did it and just added extra almond flour (1/4 cup) so they'd still be gluten free for a friend. They tasted wonderful but the dough was pretty wet. I ended up just dropping spoonfuls onto my cookie sheet since there was no way I could roll them out. So they certainly weren't as pretty as the cut out ones, but in my opinion they still worked just fine :) The cookies were a huge hit. Thanks so much for the recipe!
        Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      April 2, 2013 at 3:36 pm

      Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the coconut flower buds. It has a much lower glycemic index than white sugar (about 35). It's still sugar, but a better alternative for the occasional treat.
      Reply to this comment

  19. kasey

    April 2, 2013 at 4:56 pm

    I am new to healthy eating and have a question, how are these considered Paleo? I thought Paleo did not allow sugar or dairy, maybe just not in the beginning stages? Either way they look awesome!
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      April 2, 2013 at 5:05 pm

      Those who prescribe to the Paleo diet have varying opinions when it comes to butter and sweeteners. Generally (according to Mark Sisson) butter is a healthy choice for a fat even though it contains a small amount of dairy. Sweeteners should be consumed in strict moderation, and it's best to stick with sweeteners that have a lower glycemic index such as coconut sugar and raw honey. If you haven't read "The Primal Solution" it's a great read and might help you understand more about the Paleo/Primal diet. I hope that helps!
      Reply to this comment

  21. sally inman

    May 22, 2013 at 7:51 am

    Is the gelatin necessary ? What is its purpose in this recipe. I cannot wait to try these. They are my favorite Girl Scout Cookie !! Thank you...I love your recipes & recently purchased your cookbook. Sally
    Reply to this comment

  22. Shawna

    February 24, 2014 at 6:41 am

    I really want to make these and have everything but the gelatin. I dont want to buy it because its expensive and i only need such a small amount. Can i use anything else instead of the gelatin?
    Reply to this comment

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