Milan Cookies... by Gale Gand

Milan Cookies... by Gale Gand I had to try this recipe! It was part of a Daring Baker's Challenge that was hosted a couple of weeks ago. Many photos appeared all over the Internet. I came across them on Tastespotting. I finally made them...you see, we absolutely love the Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies. So, I was curious to see if this recipe would even come close to what we know and love. Oh, they look lovely and all...they could even pass for Milanos at a glance, but they were not what I hoped they would be. They were a bit on the chewy side...not very crispy. The longer they stayed out, the softer they became. So, I quickly put them in the freezer. They freeze very well and taste pretty good. But I wouldn't call them milanos...let's just say they are great little sandwich cookies. Oh well, I loved the challenge though...and believe me they will all be eaten! I have to admit, ....they are lovely little cookies. They would be perfect for tea. Would I make them again?...probably:).
Update: I served these to quite a few guests recently, and they absolutely loved them!....Hmm...Some said they were actually better than the store bought version:). I think I will make these again and again:)...I would love to make a few versions of the chocolate filling(cappucino,mint,raspberry...)

Cookie Ingredients: adapted from Gale Gand(Food Network)

12 tablespoons butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract ( I only used 1 TBS)
2 tablespoons lemon extract (I only used 2 tsps)
1 1/2 cups flour

Cookie filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips)
1 orange, zested

1 tsp orange extract (optional, I added this)
Directions:
Cream the butter with a paddle attachment then mix in the sugar.

Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.

Add the flour and mix until just incorporated.

With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip ....I used a plastic bag and cut off the tip (about 1/2 inch).

Pipe 1-inch sections(I thought they would be too small so I made them close to 2 inches) 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( this was too much...I noticed mine took about 6-8 minutes) or until light golden brown around the edges. Keep an eye on them! Let cool on the pan.

Cookie Filling: In a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl.

Whisk to melt chocolate, add zest, extract 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( or place gently) the flat side of a second cookie on top. I used a plastic bag to hold the filling and cut of a small hole at the tip of the bag. I then squeezed some filling on the cookie. This minimizes the mess of spreading it on the cookie. It is much cleaner.

Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.