Gluten & Dairy-Free Coconut Samoa Cookies

Cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF
2. In a stand-up mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, mixing between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Add the milk and vanilla extract, blending until combined and the dough begins to come together in large pieces.
5. Wrap the dough securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate, about 1 hour or until firm.
6. Once the dough has chilled, roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface until it is approx 1/8-inch thick. Cut out as many cookies as possible with a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter or you can use a glass with a 2-inch mouth and something with a 1-inch mouth. Place the cut-out cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half-way through until the cookies are pale golden brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut Topping:

1. Spread the coconut flakes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the coconut for about 10 min in a 350 degree F oven until toasted, stirring frequently. Remove the toasted coconut from the oven and set aside.
2. Melt the caramel, almond milk, and salt in a double-boiler by placing the caramels in a medium saucepot set over a large saucepot of simmering water. Cook stirring until all is mixed well. Remove the saucepot from the heat and combine 3/4 of the caramel with the toasted coconut in a large bowl.
3. Carefully spread the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel atop the cooled cookies then press on a portion of the coconut mixture. Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes. If the caramel-coconut mixture thickens too much at any point while pressing it onto the cookies, return it to the double-boiler and warm it until it’s spreadable again.
4. Melt the dark chocolate in a double-boiler. If too thick to dip, add warm water, a teaspoon at a time. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the chocolate and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet face down. Use a fork to drizzle the tops with chocolate. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate hardens fully.