Milan Cookies

The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

Cookies!!  I just love cookies as most people do.  They are fun and simple and just plain ole good.  But this months challenge was not your run of the mill cookie it was Milan and Mallow cookies.  Though I didn’t get to make the Mallow cookies as my time was short this month, I did make the Milan cookie.  Which are now a household favorite.  I just loved this recipe.  The citrus twang and soft sweetness of the cookie with a chocolate filling, I’m in love and a perfect complement to a good cup of joe.  In fact I ate most of this recipe all by myself, but please don’t tell anyone!!  Now on to the recipe so you can treat yourself to a wonderful cookie.

Milan Cookie Ingredients: 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, 2 1/2 cups  powdered sugar, 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs), 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons lemon extract, 1 1/2 cups  all purpose flour

Start off by creaming together the butter and powdered sugar

Then separate each egg white (save your yolks for another recipe, or just feed them to the dogs like I did they will love you forever)

Once butter and sugar are creamed, slowly add the egg whites

Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after

Next add both your vanilla and lemon extract

Then slowly add in the flour

Mixing until well incorporated and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl again

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and  pipe out 1 inch strips of the cookie batter

Be sure they are at least 2 inches apart or they will turn out like this!

While the cookies are baking lets start on the chocolate filling

Cookie filling: 1/2 cup heavy cream, 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, • 1 orange, zested

Zest your Orange

Then in a small sauce pan pour in your cream over medium-high heat

Heat until scalding, which basically means bubbling

Then in a glass bowl add your chocolate chips, and pour your scalded cream over the top

Add your orange zest

and whisk until chocolate is melted

Once your cookies have cooled from the oven, take one piece and spread a generous amount of chocolate on top, and then cover with another similarly shaped cookie

Enjoy right there or set aside to cool

These cookies are light, citrusy and sweet.

They are the perfect treat in the morning with your coffee

or the afternoon

or even the evening, not that I would ever do that!!

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For your pleasure I had added both the Mallow and Milan cookie recipes.  Enjoy!

Mallows(Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.

Homemade marshmallows:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
6. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

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Milan Cookies
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Please be sure to check out the other daring bakers here!