Des

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Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

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Mallows and 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

I was pretty excited when I saw this month’s Daring Bakers challenge. Who doesn’t love cookies? And with so much chocolate, you simply can’t go wrong.

For the challenge, we had the opportunity to pick between the Mallows (Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies) and the Milan cookies or bake them both. I figured that since I did join the Daring Bakers to challenge myself, I should probably bake both.

For the most part it was smooth sailing. The milans were pretty easy and scrumptious. I did have a little trouble with the Mallows however. My chocolate did not set while it was sitting at room temperature. I am not sure if it was because it was warm in the house or because of the lack of shortening in the chocolate coating, but either way they sat there for 3 hours and the chocolate never hardened. I decided to put them in the refrigerator for about an hour and that helped.

A bit of warning,  if you are making homemade marshmallows to use in the mallows, note that before the homemade marshmallows set they are sticky and I mean really sticky. As I maneuvered them around on the cookie sheet I had cookies sticking to my fingers, my elbow and each other. I’m not showing a picture here, I’ll let you conjure up the image in your head.

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.

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.

I saved this challenge until the last minute because I had visitors coming into town and thought they they would help me eat all of the cookies. They didn’t. Now I have no choice but to eat them all. I’m really broken up about it. Or not.

Enjoy!

Leave a Comment

  • Reply
    Michelle
    July 31, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    Such beautiful cookies! Great job!!

  • Reply
    Christina
    July 31, 2009 at 7:24 am

    Great looking cookies!

  • Reply
    isa
    July 31, 2009 at 6:49 am

    Your cookies are very beautiful and extremely tempting!
    I’m glad you enjoyed this!

  • Reply
    Debbie
    July 29, 2009 at 7:56 am

    They look fabulous! Now I need to try the Milanos too. They look yummy too:)

  • Reply
    Natalie
    July 29, 2009 at 4:41 am

    Great job! They look amazing…

  • Reply
    Deseree
    July 28, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    Thank you everyone! :)

  • Reply
    Memoria
    July 28, 2009 at 11:17 am

    These look fantastic!

  • Reply
    Marta
    July 28, 2009 at 10:35 am

    You guys made Milanos?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
    I didn’t even know you could make them at home? I always thought they were this precious and magical cookie only attainable by Pepperidge Farm!
    They look lovely, I think you did a phenomenal job Des!

  • Reply
    pontch
    July 28, 2009 at 5:24 am

    Perfect
    Both cookies look amazing!
    I love your pictures.

  • Reply
    Ama
    July 27, 2009 at 11:52 pm

    They look delicious ! :)

  • Reply
    Jessie
    July 27, 2009 at 5:00 pm

    these cookies look divine! I love how small and cute they are. I’m really loving that photo as well with chocolate written on the edge of the plate, very pretty!

  • Reply
    cassie
    July 27, 2009 at 1:15 pm

    They look great and yummy too!

  • Reply
    Jenn
    July 27, 2009 at 11:51 am

    MMMMMMM.. those look so good! I was just thinking about Mallows this weekend and how it’s been far too long since I’ve had one!!! Thanks for always posting such yummy recipes!

  • Reply
    Anula
    July 27, 2009 at 10:09 am

    Beatiful cookis – both Mallows and Milano. Great photo too :) Cheers!

  • Reply
    Lisa
    July 27, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Your Milans and Mallows came out absolutely perfect! Beautiful job!

  • Reply
    Julie
    July 27, 2009 at 10:01 am

    They look great! I had the exact same issue with suddenly finding a chain of cookies stuck to my fingers . . . it was comical!

  • Des

    Hey! I'm Des!

    Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

    Read more »

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