Mallow & 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've always wanted to make Marshmallow, so I was really excited about this challenge. I was surprised at how easy the Marshmallow was! I can't wait to take the next step and shape it so that I can roast it for Smores!

These cookies were not difficult to make, just a little time consuming. Personally, I didn't care for either of them, but my tasters liked them. The orange flavor in the Milan filling is very, very strong, so brace yourself!

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 marshmallow• 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 CookiesRecipe 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.

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Malted Milk Ice Cream

Malted Milk Ice Cream

About 1 1/2 quarts (1 1/2 liters)

The recipe calls for malt powder which is usually found in the ice cream aisle of your supermarket. But sometimes it’s stocked alongside chocolate drink mixes like Ovaltine, which isn’t the same thing and shouldn't be used here. Most common brands of malt powder are Carnation and Horlicks.

1 cup (250 ml) half-and-half
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (90 g) malt powder
6 large egg yolks
2 cups (350 g) malted milk balls, coarsely chopped

Warm the half-and-half with the sugar in a medium saucepan. In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla, and malt powder. Set a mesh strainer on top.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden or heatproof plastic spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and whisk it into the malted milk mixture. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, fold in the chopped malted milk balls.

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Too Sweet Applesauce

I "found" a bag of apples in the bottom of the pantry that I'd forgotten about. They were going soft, so I stewed up some Applesauce. It was a little too sweet and had a strong vanilla taste, but I bet it will be tasty mixed into some oatmeal tomorrow morning!

Applesauce
adapted from Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

4 pounds cooking apples, cored and sliced into wedges
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine ingredients in a large pot over medium heat. Cook 30 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and pass through a sieve or use a food mill to remove skins.

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Soft and Chewy "Oreo" Cookies

Last night for dessert I made Homemade Oreo Cookies which I heard about from Cupcake Project. I used my 1 tbsp scoop and made 36 cookies. The cookies were fantastic and tasted like Oreos which had already been dipped in milk. They were soft instead of crunchy, but I prefer my cookies that way.

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 C sugar
1/2 C plus 2 T butter, room temperature
1 large egg

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, and salt. Add egg to sugar mixture. Slowly add flour mixture. Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass. Using cookie scoop rounded scoops of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 8 minutes at 375 F. Set on a rack to cool.

Filling
1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy. To make a cookie, pipe teaspoon-sized blobs of cream into the center of a cookie using a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch round tip. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

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Risotto with Chicken, Carrots & Zucchini

The only Risotto that I have ever had could have passed for gourmet Mac & Cheese rather than an entree. Tonight I decided to attempt a light, healthy version of this yummy goodness. Yum-O!

Risotto with Chicken, Carrots & Zucchini

2 tsp olive oil
3 carrots, sliced into rounds
2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 small zucchini, sliced and quartered
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, reserve some to top the plated dish
fresh herbs- basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram
fresh ground pepper
finely ground sea salt

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add carrots and saute about 3 minutes. Add rice, stirring well. Add wine and simmer until wine has been absorbed, approximately 10-15 minutes. Stir often and vigorously to keep from sticking. Add chicken and 1/3 of the chicken broth, stirring often and vigorously until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/3 at a time until rice is soft and the texture is creamy. You may not need all of the broth. Remove from heat, add zucchini, cheese, herbs, pepper, & salt to taste. Top with remaining cheese and serve steaming hot.

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