Milan Cookies
This recipe for Milan Cookies is a wonderful addition to any cookie platter, Christmas cookie exchange, tea or just because.
This recipe for Milan Cookies is a wonderful addition to any cookie platter, Christmas cookie exchange, tea or just because.
- 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)
- Carbohydrate 104.379281380603 g
- Cholesterol 44.7875 mg
- Fat 23.8481767533863 g
- Fiber 4.49500008487701 g
- Protein 14.4737040033863 g
- Saturated Fat 14.2678322838977 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (199g)
- Sodium 140.837625507939 mg
- Sugar 99.8842812957258 g
- Trans Fat 1.77016535203175 g
- Calories 694 calories
Step-by-step
- 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.
Precise thermal control during the cream-and-sugar stage dictates whether delicate cookies maintain their necessary structural integrity or spread uncontrollably across the baking sheet. Softened butter must be thoroughly aerated using a paddle attachment before powdered sugar enters the bowl, creating a stable fat matrix that supports the substantial volume of liquid egg whites without breaking. Because standard oven calibrations fluctuate wildly, monitoring the 350 degree Fahrenheit bake cycle visually remains mandatory; edges signal doneness by turning light golden between six and eight minutes rather than waiting out a rigid timer. When adapting extracts, remember that concentrated lemon or vanilla oils demand precise measurement adjustments to prevent overwhelming the delicate crumb structure.
Assembly and Filling Mechanics
Hot heavy cream poured directly over finely chopped semisweet chocolate initiates a rapid thermal emulsion, melting the cocoa solids without seizing the lipids. Allowing this ganache to cool undisturbed on the counter thickens the mixture to a spreadable consistency ideal for sandwiching between two matching baked wafers. Piping the filling through a snipped plastic bag maintains uniform layer thickness and prevents the delicate edges from fracturing under excessive downward pressure. Pairing these crisp butter cookies with unsweetened black tea or bracing drip coffee balances the intense sweetness of the powdered sugar base.
- Watch oven edges carefully at the six-minute mark to prevent scorching.
- Cool chocolate ganache until viscous before piping to avoid structural slippage.
- Use room temperature egg whites gradually to prevent emulsion separation during mixing.
