Browse Tag by coconut
Brownies and Bars

Homemade Samoa Bars

Samoa Bars are just like the famed Girl Scout cookie, but even better in my opinion. Their chocolate dipped shortbread crust, caramel-coconut layer, and chocolate drizzle, make them everything the original cookie is and more.

Samoa Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Samoa cookies are my favorite Girl Scout treat. I really like some of the others too, but Samoa’s have just always done the trick for me. Something I love about these Samoa Bars are they are substantially cheaper to make at home. A batch of Samoa Bars also goes much farther than a box of the cookies!

Samoa Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

As is the story with many of my recipes, my older sissie Jessie introduced me to these bars. They have always been more of a spring/summer treat to me because the first time she made them for my family in Montana, she made them for the fourth of July. Therefore a warm weather treat they were and a warm weather treat they still are to me. I don’t know why I feel that way, but I just do, so there. Make them anytime of year though ;).

Samoa Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Samoa Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Samoa Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

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Samoa Bars
Serves 20
Samoa Bars are just like the famed Girl Scout cookie. Their chocolate dipped shortbread crust, caramel-coconut layer, and chocolate drizzle, make them everything the original cookie is and more
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Shortbread Crust
  1. 3/4 cup butter, soft
  2. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  3. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  4. 1 egg
  5. 2 cups flour
  6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
  1. 3 cups shredded coconut
  2. 1 11 oz bag caramels
  3. 3 tablespoons milk
  4. 12 oz milk chocolate chips
  5. 1-2 tablespoons shortening
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Make the shortbread crust by creaming the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and egg, then mix well. Gradually mix in the flour and the salt. Press crust into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and crust has set. Remove from oven and cool completely.
  2. 2. To make the topping, spread the coconut on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Stir the coconut every five minutes until it is golden and toasted. Watch it carefully or the coconut could burn.
  3. 3. Place the caramels in a microwave safe bowl with the milk. Microwave on high in 1 minute intervals, stirring each time until caramels are completely melted. Combine the melted caramel and coconut. Spread the topping on the shortbread crust.
  4. 4. After the topping has cooled, cut into about 16-20 bars, depending how big you would like them. Melt the chocolate chips, with the shortening, in the microwave or on the stove. I usually do it in the microwave, at 60 percent, in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate has melted. Dip the bottom of each bar into the chocolate and place the dipped bars upside down until chocolate hardens. Once the chocolate has hardened, flip the bars over and drizzle with more milk chocolate on top. Let chocolate set and store bars in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Cookies

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons

These Easter Bird Nest Macaroons are the perfect dessert to add to your Easter Sunday fare! Not only are they super cute but these cookies come together super easily as well. It just makes my heart happy when easy AND cute are thrown together in the same batch of sweets. 
 

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com
Now, let’s talk macaroons for a minute. Is there anything worse than a dry, crusty macaroon? I can only think of one thing. You guessed it- a dry pan of funeral potatoes! That’s a different story for another time though. This recipe produces a moist and luscious macaroon. I promise! A can of sweetened condensed milk can make about everything moist and that happens to be a large part of what makes up the coconut cookie base. 
 

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com
Now, let’s talk coconut. If there are any coconut-haters reading just sit tight for a second. I have always enjoyed toasted coconut, but until the last year or so, I despised coconut any other way. The first time I ever had these was over ten years ago, way back in my coconut-hating days. My sister Jessie made them for an Easter trip we spent visiting their family.  I had one bite and was a goner. These Easter Bird Nest Macaroons had me hooked!
 

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Plus, they are dipped in a chocolate ganache. Chocolate ganache can make everything better. 

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter Bird Nest Macaroons from butterloveandcowboys.com

 
Lastly, these bad boys are topped with Cadbury Mini’s and drizzled in white chocolate. I simply adore Cadbury Mini’s, but you could use other chocolate candies, like M&M Eggs, Robin’s Eggs, or Hershey Eggs. In my non-negotiable opinion though Cadbury chocolate is the tastiest 🙂 

Happy Easter! 

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Easter Bird Nest Macaroons
A moist and luscious macaroon dipped in chocolate ganache, topped with Mini Cadbury Eggs, and drizzled in white chocolate!
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Ingredients
  1. 5 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
  2. 2/3 cup flour
  3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  4. 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the ganache
  1. *2 cups chocolate chips
  2. 1 cup heavy cream
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
  1. 60-65 Mini Cadbury Eggs
  2. 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven @ 350 F. Combine flour, coconut flakes, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
  2. 2. Place sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in separate bowl and mix until combined. Add dry coconut mixture and mix well.
  3. 3. Shape mixture into about twenty balls. Make the "nest" in the middle of each ball by moistening the back of a spoon, by dipping it in water, and shaping the nest with it. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.
  4. 4. Let cool completely on cookie sheet. To make the ganache, pour chocolate chips in a small-medium size bowl. Microwave the cream for one minute then pour over the chocolate chips. Whisk until chocolate chips melt and thoroughly combine. Add vanilla and whisk. Dip each macaroon in the chocolate ganache. Completely cover the entire cookie with the ganache. Place on a greased cookie sheet, or a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Let set until cooled and the ganache has hardened up a bit.
  5. 5. Place three Cadbury Mini Eggs in each nest. Drizzle with melted white chocolate chips if desired.
Notes
  1. *The original recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips. We prefer more of a milk chocolate taste, so I used about 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. Use whatever chocolate chips or mixture of chocolate chips you prefer.
  2. Yields: 20 macaroons
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Seven Layer Bars

I have been searching the internet high and low for all sorts of variations on Seven Layer Bars. They are so versatile! The unique combinations and spin-offs of these original bars are endless! Now, before I move onto some of those more unique combinations, let me focus on the original.  Even the original bars can be adapted to suit anyone’s taste.
 
Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com
Seven Layer Bars are a simple, tried-and-true kind of treat. They are super quick and easy to throw together. Most recipes tell you to let the bars cool completely before digging in. Well I will tell you, in the words of ‘Mater, ” to not to.” We only wait as long as is absolutely necessary before serving these up. If you are too impatient, which is the category I tend to fall into, you may serve up a gooey mess. That, in my opinion, isn’t all bad, BUT, for the sake of easy-serve, give them fifteen minutes to cool off.

Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

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7 Layer Bars
Yields 9
A deliciously gooey and easy, classic dessert recipe that is ready to throw in the oven in minutes.
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Ingredients
  1. 4.5 full graham cracker sheets, crushed
  2. 4 tablespoon butter, melted
  3. 1 tablespoon sugar
  4. *1/2 cup butterscotch chips
  5. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  6. 1 cup peanut butter chips
  7. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  8. 1/2 cup toffee bits
  9. 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
  10. 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter into a greased 8x8 pan. Combine well, mixing by hand, and press into the pan to form the crust.
  2. 2. Next, layer all of the chips, in the order listed. Layer the toffee bits, then the coconut.
  3. 3. Evenly spread sweetened condensed milk over bars. Bake 25-28 minutes.
  4. 4. Let cool 15 minutes.
Notes
  1. *I'm not a big fan of butterscotch so I usually replace these with peanut butter chips.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/