24 [b]shortbread cookies[/b] (about 1/2 this recipe)
2 cups coconut
1/2 cup [b]sweetened condensed soy milk[/b]
(about half of my modified version of this recipe)
3 tablespoons vegan margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1. Begin by making the shortbread cookies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix up about half of the Shortbread cookies recipe. Roll the cookies to 1/4 " thick and cut out 24 circles. (About a 2 1/2" circle. I use a small drinking glass, upside down, to cut out the cookies). Cut out the center of the cookie using a water bottle cap. The cookie ring should look thinner, with a wider hole than expected (it will fill out a bit with caramel goo later.) Cook the cookies for 10 minutes, or until crisp.
2. After the cookies are done, toast the 2 cups coconut on a cookie sheet in the hot oven. It takes only about 4 minutes, so watch carefully.Now you can make the sweetened condensed soy milk recipe, except omit the margarine and add more soy milk powder (about 1/3 cup more). You want the condensed soy milk to be about the consistency of glue. Chill in the fridge.
3. Once the shortbread cookies have cooled, you can start to make the gooey caramel. In a sauce pan, combine margarine, sugar, and both forms of syrup. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil (you can turn up the heat if need be). Boil the mixture, while stirring, for three minutes.
4. Pour in the sweetened condensed soy milk, still stirring. Cook the whole mixture until it reaches 225 degrees F on a candy thermometer (always stirring). Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and coconut. Dip the shortbread cookies into the gooey caramel coconut mixture. Lay the dipped cookies on wax paper. This is really messy. I do it by dipping the cookie in with a spoon, and then using the end of another spoon to push it around and clear the goo out of the center. If the goo hardens too quickly, you can heat it back up slowly on the stove.
5. Chill the cookies in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Melt the chocolate in a large bowl, and dip the bottom of the cookies into it. Just coat the bottom, and place the cookies back onto wax paper. Once all the bottoms of the cookies have been covered, transfer the chocolate to a plastic sandwich bag and snip off a corner. Pipe stripes across the cookies, so they look like Somoas. Cool and store the cookies in the freezer. Enjoy!!
Notes: This recipe is INSANELY easier if you make it into bars. Simply pat the shortbread dough into a baking dish, and bake it until crisp. Pour the caramel goo over top and chill. Drizzle the chocolate over everything. Cool and then cut into bars.