There’s a certain carmel coconut cookie that the Girl Scouts sell each year. It’s truly a “delightful” cookie and my husband, Ron and I always make sure to buy several boxes.
Recently, I stumbled upon an old recipe for DIY Carmel Delight Cookies. After making them, I discovered that they are better than the ones the Girl Scouts make!
The best thing about this recipe is that it only requires five simple ingredients: shredded coconut, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and sea salt.
DIY Carmel Delights – aka TUFF Papa’s Favorite Cookie
Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Ingredients:
• 1 (13-ounce) can of dulce de leche
*or, sweetened condensed milk, see note below.
• 2 large egg whites
• 10 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut (make sure it’s unsweetened!)
• 4 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1 tsp of Fleur De Sel Sea Salt from T.U.F.F. Momma Salt Craft
Note: It’s sometimes difficult to find a can of Dulce de Leche at the supermarket. If you do, it’s usually in the international section. Here’s the brand I use.
If you cannot find it, no worries! You can make your own with a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk. (NOT Evaporated milk and NOT regular milk.) It will take longer, but it’s worth it.
Here’s how to magically transform a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk into Dulce de Leche.
that I used and magically transformed into Dulce de Leche.
1. Remove the wrapper from the sweetened condensed milk. Do NOT open the can.
2. Place sealed can on its side in your deepest pot.
3. Cover with water. MUST be at least 1 inch of water covering the can.
4. Place pot on stove and bring to boil.
5. Once boiling, turn down to simmer.
6. Let simmer for 3 hours. Check on it frequently and add water so the can remains submerged. ⚠️WARNING: if the can isn’t submerged it can explode.
7. Let cool down in the pot to room temperature before using for the recipe.
Here’s what your homemade Dulce de Leche will look like when done. Basically, it transforms into deliciously sweet caramelized milk.
Now back to the cookies!
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add coconut flakes to sheet tray and bake until toasted to a golden brown. Takes about 5 to 7 minutes. Check it frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn. Let cool for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add egg whites to a large, clean bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until they’re stiff and shiny. Set aside.
NOTE: This is much quicker in a stand mixer.
4. In a large bowl, stir together cooled, toasted coconut with (cooled) dulce de leche. Then gently fold in whipped egg whites.
5. Shape into 2 1/2-inch flat rounds and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Immediately, after taking them out of the oven, place 5 to 7 chocolate chips on the top of each cookie. Let set for a few minutes until the chips get glossy and soft. Then, take a butter knife and spread evenly over the top of the cookie.
7. While chocolate is still melted, sprinkle a pinch of Fleur de Sel Sea Salt on top of each cookie. You can get some here.
8. Let chocolate harden before serving.
Note: To speed up hardening, you can place cookies in freezer.
Enjoy!