Mint Milanos ®
Classic Snacks, page 26, recipe occasionally paraphrased
YIELD: 18-20 sandwich cookies
TOTAL TIME: 2-1/2 hours including rest time
DIFFICULTY: 2
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: stand mixer, pastry bag(or zip top bag) with large round piping tip
cookies
1-1/4 cups (5-3/8 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp kosher salt
3 large egg whites
8 tbsp (4 oz) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup (4 oz) powder sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
chocolate filling
4 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (a scant 2/3 cup)
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
Make the Cookies
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites by hand in a separate small bowl for about 30 seconds, until bubbly, frothy, and slightly thickened but still liquid.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together starting on low speed until the butter coats the sugar.
Then beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the butter is pale and creamy.
Scrape down the bowl and add the egg whites in thirds on low speed, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before drizzling in more.
Scrape the bowl again, add the vanilla, and mix (still on low) to incorporate. There will still be a few chunks of butter visible.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined into a thick, whipped batter. Do not overbeat.
Fit a pastry bag or gallon-size zip-top bag with a large round piping tip and fill the bag with batter.
Form each cookie directly on a prepared baking sheet by piping a line of batter about 2-1/2 inches long, then reversing directions -- still piping -- to make a second line, forming a "U" with the long edges touching.
great illustration of piping from book (on page27)
Space the cookies about 1-1/2 inches apart, since they'll spread slightly. Because the batter is thicker than a typical frosting or filling, it may take a few tries to get into the rhythm of piping, and you may need to squeeze lower on the bag -- closer to the piping tip -- than you normally would.
Bake for about 15-18 minutes (I baked mine for 16-17 minutes), until the cookies are no longer puffy and glossy and are just turning golden brown at the edges. The cookies will still be a little soft, but they'll crisp as they cool. I left mine on the cookie tray for 5 minutes.
Transer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Fill the Cookies
When the cookies are cool, melt the chocolate in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring constantlywith a silicone spatula until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint extract.
Dip the flat (bottom) side of the cookie in the melted chocolate, or brush on chocolate using a silicone pastry brush; top with another cookie, flat side down, to make a sandwich.
Repeat with the remaining cookies. All the chocolate to firm up for at least 1 hour before serving the cookies.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Hahahahahaha, that's funny, like they would last that long. Whooo (wipe a tear), that's a good one.
NOTES
Author: "I bet you thought 'Milano' was just a random name bestowed by Pepperidge Farm, but the cookies -- at least the homemade version -- really do have an Italian background. The recipe for the pale, crispy cookie wafers is based on a traditional recipe called ossi dei morti, or "bones of the dead."
K2: For all you fans out there of The Walking Dead, I thought this sounded appropriate for today.
Author: "Want to make these in another flavor? Substitute orange, almond, or your favorite extract for the peppermint in the melted chocolate. Or just leave the chocolate plain for the original version."
K2: They may not be "exactly" like the original, but they're so close everyone (including yourself) will be impressed.
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