Vegan Samoa Cookies

Instructions

1. First make the caramel sauce by combining the sugar, vinegar and water together in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium to high heat
2. Stir only until the sugar is dissolved not after it starts to boil or you will get crystals in your caramel! The acid helps to prevent this, but it can still happen if you stir after it starts boiling
3. Watch it carefully as it turns from a light amber to medium amber, take it off the heat when it is medium amber as it will continue to cook and darker even after you remove it from the heat
4. Slowly & carefully pour in the plant milk and vegan butter and once the bubbling subsides stir it to a smooth sauce
5. Stir in the salt if using
6. Pour into a heat proof container and refrigerate until needed *it will thicken as it sits!
7. For the cookie dough: cream the vegan butter with the sugar until light and fluffy about 3- 5 minutes.
8. Add the aquafaba and vanilla extract to the creaming butter/sugar mixture and then stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl
9. Then whip on high speed for 10 seconds to emulsify
10. Next sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and add it all at once to the creamed mixture. Mix just until it is all combined.
11. Wrap this dough disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before using this allows the dough to relax and absorb the flour
12. You must re work this dough with some additional flour to a pliable consistency after it has been chilled. Do not skip this step.*see video for visual
13. Cut the dough with a 2" cookie cutter and place them spaced ½" apart on a parchment lined (or non stick) sheet pan.
14. Cut out the center holes with a ¾" cookie cutter, then re roll the remaining dough and repeat until all the dough is gone.
15. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes or golden browned and then transfer them to a cooling rack while.
16. Dip the bottom of the cooled cookies in tempered chocolate and place on a parchment paper to set
17. Now that the caramel is cold add the shredded coconut & mix well, it will be a goopy gloppy mixture
18. Now top each COOLED cookie with some of the coconut caramel and then drizzle with chocolate
19. You may have to work in stages putting the cookies in the refrigerator to prevent it from dripping all over the place! The thicker the caramel, the easier it is! *see more about CARAMEL HERE
20. Drizzle with more tempered chocolate