Week 4, February 23rd, 2014 ~ Samoas Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes

Seeing as it is Girl Scout cookie season, and being a former Girl Scout, I couldn't help but make a cupcake inspired by MY favorite cookie; the Samoas. Though now I think they call them Caramel Delights. Anyways I just happen to have a box of these just lying around so it was obviously meant to be! The cupcake is a devil's food cake and has a caramel coconut filling and coconut buttercream. The filling is so good I could seriously eat it by the spoonful! 

For Cupcakes:

1. 1/2 cup butter( room temperature)
2. 2 cups sugar
3. 3 large eggs
4. 3/4 cup sour cream
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
6. 2 cups all purpose flour
7. 2 tsp baking soda
8. 1/2 tsp salt
9. 1/4 cup cocoa powder
10. 2-oz dark chocolate
11. 1 cup water( boiling)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180 C and lightly grease two 12-cup muffin tins.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time. 

3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract, followed by the addition of the rest of the flour mix. Stir well between each addition and mix until no streaks of flour remain.

4. Stir the cocoa powder and the dark chocolate into the boiling water (easiest in a large measuring cup). Pour chocolate water into the rest of the batter and stir until uniform.
4. Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking cups. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.
Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and filling.

For Caramel Coconut Filling

• 3 cups shredded coconut (about 1-14-ounce bag)
• 12-ounces chewy caramels
• 3 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden.
3. Cool on baking sheet.
4. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave safe bowl with milk.
5. Cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, stopping to stir a few times.
6. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut.
7. Fill cupcakes with about 1 tbsp filling

Coconut Buttercream:
3 cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature
6 cups Powdered Sugar
1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract
1.5 tsp Coconut Extract
Pinch of Salt

For Coconut Buttercream:
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add in one cup of sugar at a time, mixing in between additions. Once the sugar is completely incorporated, add in vanilla and coconut extracts. Add in salt. Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Restart the mixer and turn the speed up to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. 

I garnished with 1/2 a cookie however if you didn't want to buy the cookies you could do caramel sauce and toasted coconut

It's just so beautiful!