Daring Baker July Challenge: Milan and Mallow Cookies

For me, cooking is social time. I love cooking ... especially when there is company. Cooking (and baking) is a party. And, what can be more fun than a cooking party with kids? My son, Wylie, and my new nine-year-old granddaughter, Caitlyn, were my party guests. Sadly, Shawna, Wylie's bride, was ill and could not join us.

We all piped Milan cookie dough, which resulted in a variety of sizes and shapes. In the photo, the 8 "straighter" sections are mine when I showed my guests how to use a piping bag.

While Caitlyn didn't do any of the handling of the hot syrup, she did get to lick the beaters, much to her delight, and mix food coloring into some of the marshmallow fluff for some dusty rose and turquoise colored marshmallow cookies. Wylie learned that the back end of the piping bag has to be held closed otherwise marshmallow fluff will ooze out ... everywhere! Needless to say, there were many giggles and gales of laughter coming from the kitchen.

There was one problem. The chocolate coating never set up or firmed up or hardened. It remained soft like a melted or warmed chocolate bar in a fresh made campfire s'mores. Even after sitting for three days, they were as soft as the first day. While the cookies were messy to eat, it did not stop anyone from eating them ... one after the other. The Milan cookies were the all time favorite, both in flavor and the fact that the ganache set up perfectly ... resulting in a perfect non-messy cookie.

Using the the two cookie bases, chocolate ganache filling, and marshmallow fluff from the challenge cookies I made a variety of cookies. With the shortbread-like dough I made one inch rounds and inch-and-a-half squares. With these I made the chocolate coated marshmallow cookie (challenge), moon pies (round, chocolate coated marshmallow sandwich), s'more bites (square, ganache and marshmallow filled sandwich), and chocolate bottom shortbread (with chocolate drizzle). With the left over Milan bases I made tuxedo cookies ... one end dipped into chocolate coating at an angle creating a "V". As added interest, some of the cookies were rolled in or sprinkled with chopped toffe bits.

Isn't it great when one or two recipes can turn out such a variety? Especially when the preparation is so easy and uses relatively few ingredients.

The Daring Baker July challenge as it was presented:

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.
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I'm a huge fan of Gale Gand, I have tried a lot of her recipes and they are such a huge success. For July's challenge though I wanted to try something different and I wanted to do Gand’s version on my favorite store bought cookies which are the Peppridge Farm Milano Cookies and the Mallows (Chocolate covered Cookies). I've been wanting to try this recipes but just haven't have the chance to do so or to be honest haven’t have the courage to tackle homemade marshmallow yet, until now.

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.

* You can either do both recipes or just choose one.