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7/27/09

Daring Bakers: Milan Cookies

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.

This is my one year anniversary of being a member of Daring Bakers: time flies. I have vastly enjoyed being a member of this amazing group, although some of the challenges were more fun than the others ;)

I have always thought these cookies were called Milano, but I guess Milan is also an acceptable name for them.

I invited my friend Theresa to come over and help me make these. Let's just say it took us several attempts to figure out how to pipe these out: I wanted them to be round instead of oval, and we got a few that were perfectly shaped...others weren't so much. Still, we managed to match them up. The best part was decorating these cookies. Of course I chose dark chocolate, and also decided to use pistachio nuts to add a bit of crunch and saltiness. Pistachios went great with the richness of the cookie and the slight bitterness of dark chocolate.

Milan Cookies Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Prep Time: 20 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies (I actually halved the cookie recipe, but made full recipe of chocolate filling!)

Milan cookies Milan 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
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I just used chocolate chips, so no need to chop!)
• 1 orange, zested
Optional: pistachio nuts, chopped

Milan cookies Milan cookies

Directions
1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar. (I just used my hand-held mixer.)
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.

Milan cookies Milan cookies

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.
11. Optional: spread a bit more chocolate on top of the cookies and add chopped pistachio on top. Or just drizzle with the chocolate filling (I put mine into a plastic bag and just snipped a little piece of the corner off.)

Milan cookies Milan cookies


I doubt I'll ever make these again (it is so much easier to just buy them at the store), but they definitely did not disappoint!

42 comments:

Zoe said...

These look heavenly. Great job Olga!

Zita said...

Aww...those with pistachios look super delish :)

Mary Bergfeld said...

Olga, I think the true measure of a good cook is the ability to buy something you know how to make because you've found something as good that requires no work. My secret is pita bread from a very small Mom and Pop bakery in my area.
Your cookies look fantastic. Are we accepting wagers on the ribbon today?

Jo said...

Great job on your challenge and the milanos look absolutely yum. I love the addition of more chocolate and pistachios. Lovely and beautiful pics too.

Shelby said...

I love these - you did an awesome job on them. Yummy!

Creative Classroom Core said...

Gorgeous job! Love the ribbion!

Anonymous said...

These look SO good. Of course I have been seeing them all over the net as they are part of that baking challenge, but i dont think anyone else used pistachio (which is defintiely one of my favorites). I am tempted to make them now too.

Unknown said...

I like the idea of doing them with pistachios. They look so pretty with the green ribbon!

Julie (Willow Bird Baking) said...

Yum, pistachios!! That looks delicious!

Lisa said...

Olga, as usual, you outdid yourself, hut I don't think there is any limit with your talent! Love the pistachio and the photos, especially with the cookies tied in a green ribbon! Outstanding!

Simones Kitchen said...

O you did the cookies instead! I kept thinking I should have gone for the cookies instead of the mallows and these look absolutely delicious! Who cares if they're round or not... :) I'm sure the taste was delicious. Good choice too on the dark chocolate (I've never been a huge fan of milk chocolate) and adding pistachio's... Mmmm

Kathryn said...

These cookies look amazing! I love all the different ways you decorated them. I just joined Daring Bakers and I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store!

Dewi said...

Beautiful creation Olga! Liking the first photo. It's very cute!

Hillary said...

I love the pistachio dipped ones! Great job on these cookies.

tonic said...

Your cookies look great, especially the pistachio ones!

isa said...

Gorgeous! I love the pistachio ones, soo beautiful!
Lovely pictures. Great job!

Lauren said...

Yum - Your cookies look amazingly good!! I love the pistachios =D. Awesome job on this challenge!

Lisa said...

Great photos! I love the pistachios too, they look yummy!

Jackie at PhamFatale.com said...

Love the close up with the pistachio, it looks scrumptious

Jackie at PhamFatale.com said...

Love the close up with the pistachio, it looks scrumptious

veggie belly said...

I have to make this ASAP! Love the pistachios!

Samantha Kazakov said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I love the pistachio idea, and the stacks of thin cookies are so cute!

Alla Staroseletskaya said...

Olga, I making attemp to write a cooking book about yiddishe food. I would like to use some of the recipes on a blog. I would greately appreciate your help. My email is alla4you@yahoo.com and my blog "Cooking with yiddishe mama".

Thanks,
Alla

Tres Jolie Studios said...

Wonderful job! I love all of the variations you made and the pistachio coating is so beautiful!

Gera@SweetsFoodsBlog said...

Fabulous and an adorable treat mmmmm I really enjoy these challenges :)

Cheers!

Gera

♥peachkins♥ said...

The cookies looked extra yummy with the pistachios in them!!

Chef Fresco said...

Oh gosh those look soo good! Awesome presentation too!

Anonymous said...

Your cookies look terrific. I think my fave are the ones with the pistachio nuts.

paz

Namratha said...

How pretty! Loved that you used pistachios,mmm they must have tasted so good!

Kris Ngoei said...

I could see how terrific it is to add chopped pistachio on milan cookies. Made me drool already!

You definitely have done a fantastic job on this challenge!

Regards
Kris

Nazarina A said...

You have excelled at this challenge! My mouth is begging for some!

Ruth said...

The look lovely!!! So yummy

Delicious Dishings said...

These look beautiful! I love Milanos. I've sometimes wondered if I could make something similar at home... once I get some free time, I'm going to be trying this recipe.

Jill @ Jillicious Discoveries said...

Hi Olga!
I love that you decorated the Milans with pistachios and the ribbon and chocolate swirls look great!
Jill

Anonymous said...

Wow, great job!

Natalie said...

They turned out just gorgeous! I love all the decorating ideas you've implemented.. :)

Sara said...

The pistachios look gorgeous on the cookies! I bet they delicious, too.

Hugging the Coast said...

I love how you doubled the recipe for the filling! MMMmmm!

Justin said...

i love the look of the pistachios on the chocolate

Anonymous said...

They look so good with the pistachios. I wish I had time to make them as well.

Christina said...

Love the cookies and the photos!