Monday, July 27, 2009

July Daring Bakers Challenge......

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.


I chose the Milan cookies. They are a lovely easy cookie, liked by big and little people. Infact I made them last week for some friends who came over with their kids. My little monster was promised some if he ate his lunch which he did. He ate one with great gusto and while we were chatting and not paying attention he dilagently licked all the filling from the rest of the cookies.
I found that if there was any air bubbles they did not loos as pretty and mine are a little brown around the edges as I liked them better crisper. I also added more cream to the fillling as I thought the filling to strong for the toddlers helping eat these yummy coockies.

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.




5 comments:

  1. Great job on the Milans..I love the round shape and slight puffy look! What is it you filled them with? It looks light and pinkish..and yummy- unless my eyes are failing me!

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  2. Good job! Did yours stay crispy since you baked longer? Mine still got soft. Oh well, they were still yummy, and that's what counts, right?

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  3. Lisa-oh i forgot that i added more cream too make it more milk choc filling as littlies were going to eat them

    willowbirdbaking-yes the extra baking did help though not after 2 days...but they were still yummo

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  4. Mmmmm, these look really delicious! Yum! :)

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  5. Yum! Your cookies look amazing =D. I love the creamier filling - it sounds divine!!

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