Milan Cookies

You know those really, really good and addictive Pepperidge Farm cookies, Milanos...the best cookies in the whole wide world?!?! I never even thought to make them until I recently saw the Daring Bakers July challenge. No, I'm not a Daring Baker, but I enjoy checking out the food bloggers who do, and comparing their results.

These were pretty simple to make, however I wasn't entirely impressed with the results, even though I'm not sure why. Everyone else seemed to enjoy them, including the dude painting our house. I'll probably try them again sometime, but I have a feeling it's a store bought food that shouldn't be messed with. Not by me anyway. Kinda like Oreos...don't mess with Oreos....unless they are strawberry milkshake Oreos. Mmmm...

Anyway, if you want to tackle it, let me know how it goes:

Milan Cookies
by Gale Gand via foodnetwork
about 3 dozen cookies

Cookie

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

Cookie filling

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested (I omitted)

1. Cream the butter with a paddle attachment then mix in 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 incorporated.
   
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.
   

Cookie Filling:

1. In a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
   
2. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl. Whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
3. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
   
4. 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.