Girl Scout Cookies?

I always loved those Girl Scout Cookies I know them as Samoas but they are now called Caramel de Lites. Love them! But now being a vegan baker, I cannot eat these cookies. One of the cook books (Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero) I have has a recipe for them but they are called Lazy Samoas (toasted coconut chocolate cookies). They aren't all that I was hoping they would be, rather upsetting. My mom tried one and said they tasted healthy and not too sweet that I would like them. I do like them, but they aren't as good as I was wish. That has been happening a lot lately, me be disappointed in my cooking, I hope I'm not loosing my skills I am trying to make a living on them, oh no. They look so pretty and yummy though. 

Lazy Samoas

2 cups grated unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup date sugar) 

1/3 cup nondairy milk

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour (1 cup white whole wheat flour)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two pans with parchment paper.

Toast grated coconut in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally so not to burn the coconut. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, milk, flax seeds, and vanilla. 

Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Mix to form a thick batter. Fold in toasted coconut.

Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough, place on baking sheet, flatten each cookie, and use a fingertip to make a hole in the center of each cookie (I skipped this step because I tried but it wasn't really working). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden. 

Let cookies cool. 

Melt chocolate chips either in microwave ( I do not have one) or double boiler, then stir in coconut oil (I only added 1 tablespoon coconut oil) stir, then remove from heat and let the chocolate cool a little only about 3 minutes. 

Dip each cookie bottom in the chocolate and place on a clean wax paper sheet or a silpat. 

With the left over chocolate, drizzle over the cookies using a fork or placing the chocolate in a pastry bag. Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes to firm up the chocolate. Store the cookies in a loosely covered container in a very cool place. 

I am going to try this recipe again. Maybe I didn't toast the coconut enough to give it that flavor or I am not very sure, but I'll give it another try some time. The cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookies I also made came out great though (maybe just because I really love them).

What's For Dinner?

Saturday, February 19th

Salad with roasted asparagus and corn, tomatoes, avocado, and roasted red pepper dressing.

Sunday, February 20th

Roasted root veggie, parsley, and toasted cashews.

Monday, February 21st

Roasted red pepper and corn soup. This time with added cumin and a garnish of yellow pepper and black olives, came out much better than the first attempt at the soup.

My next thing I wanna make or I am conceptualizing are chocolate blueberry jam bars. We will see.