Ode to the Samoa!!

Samoas are my all time favorite Girl Scout cookie! I love these scrumptious caramel cookies SO MUCH that I am devoting an entire post to them.

Did you know---
*Samoas are cooked the old fashion way in copper kettles to 234 degrees.
*Little Brownie Bakers makes their own caramel for samoas.
*Samoas are the most popular cookie sold in our council, just beating out the Thin Mint (which is most popular overall).

Recipe:
In our Desserts Uncorked Cookbook- here is a recipe created by Chef Cheryl Andrews for:

SWEET SAMOA BAKLAVA
Ingredients:
1 16 oz phyllo dough
1 pound chopped walnuts
1 cup butter
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
1 package crushed Samoas Girl Scout Cookies

Preheat oven to 350. Butter bottom and sides of 9 x 13 pan.

Mix nuts, cookies and cinnamon- set aside. Unroll thawed phyllo dough and cover with damp cloth while working with dough so it doesn't dry out. Place 2 sheets of dough in a pan and butter thoroughly. Repeat this step 3 more times. Then, on last layer, put 1/3 of the cookie/nut mixture, place 2 sheets dough over the mixture and butter, add the last of the cookie and nut mixture. Finish by placing 2 sheets of dough then butter making 8 layers.

Using a sharp knife, cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to bottom of pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla and honey, simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over top. Let cool.

Oh YUM!! I am hungry as I type. On this snowy evening, I'm going to go home, use my frozen samoas from last year and make myself some sweet SAMOA BAKALAVA....aahh, pure bliss!