BlogArchiveRecipes

Milan Cookies

Milan Cookies

It's been a while since I've posted anything..

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.

We could choose either one of the recipes or both. I chose the Milan Cookies recipe thinking it would be the easier one of the two recipes, but mastering those cookies proved to be quite challenging. They don't call it the "Daring Bakers' Challenge" for nothing. :)

Some of the ingredients (lemon extract and orange zest) had to be eliminated off the bat due to food allergies and I must admit I tinkered quite a bit with the amount of powdered sugar going into the batter as I found the 2.5 cups to be an exorbitant amount of sugar for my taste.
For some unknown reason I've never liked that much sugar in my cookies, pastries or any kind of desserts.


All in all it was an interesting challenge, the cookies were edible, I got some lovely images out of it and some inspiration to look for a more balanced Milan Cookies recipe. :)

Milan Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies


Recipe courtesy Gale Gand from Food Network website
Hostess: Nicole of Sweet Tooth


Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
  • 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:
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
    • 1 orange, zested
Directions
  • In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
  • Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
  • Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
  • 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.
  • Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
  • While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
  • Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
  • Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
  • 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.
  • Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Mallows (Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies


Recipe courtesy Gale Gand from Food Network website
Hostess: Nicole of Sweet Tooth


Prep time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
  • 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
  • Chocolate glaze
Directions
  • In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
  • On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
  • Add the eggs and mix until combine.
  • Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
  • When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • 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.
  • Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
  • Pipe a "kiss" of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
  • One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
  • Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
  • 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

Ingredients
  • 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
Directions
  • 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.
  • Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
  • Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
  • Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
  • Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
  • Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients
  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil
Directions
  • Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.



July 27, 2009

what's new

✚ Weathered exhibition is up in the Lightful Imagery Gallery till June 24th, 2024.

✚ Florescence exhibition preview is starting on April 2nd, 2024. New image will be revealed in the newsletter every week till June 18th, 2024. Sign up for the newsletter to follow along.

recent

Abound
Quieting
Wintry Melange
Rosette #237

you might also like...

Fanning Out
Distortion
Quieting
Experience

selected prints

Details / US219
Bright & Early
Details / US222
Experience


STAY IN TOUCH

Sign up to receive weekly updates on new images, new art prints, new projects and art print sales right in your Inbox to be enjoyed at your leisure.

Grateful for your support whether through kind words, purchase of prints or a cup of coffee.

ARCHIVE