Milan Cookies

A July Daring Baker's Challenge

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.

Nicole is a huge fan of Gale Gand. She's tried a lot of her recipes and they are always a huge success. For July's challenge, she wanted to try something different and chose Gand's version of the Pepperidge Farm cookies...the Milano.

I've had family in and out of the house most of the summer. My folks, my brother's family and now his niece is staying for the week. Her first time away from home. So far, she seems to be doing just fine. However, there are these long periods of silence followed by all these quiet giggles and a squeal or two.

These cookies turned out to be a success at my house as well, although I have to say they are somewhat addictive. More than one of us had trouble stopping with one, even two cookies. The only person who was slightly disappointed was my son, who really wanted these to be Mint Milano cookies.

Milan Cookie

Recipe courtesy of Gale Gand (Food Network)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Serves: 1 1/2 dozen cookies

Cookie

6 Tb (85 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cup (156 g) powdered sugar

3 egg whites

1 Tb vanilla extract

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup sweet rice flour

2 Tb arrowroot starch

2 Tb almond meal

1 tsp chia seed meal

pinch agar agar powder

Cookie Filling

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar.

2. Gradually add the egg whites and then mix in the vanilla extract.

3. Add the various flours, meals and agar agar, then mix until combined.

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 F oven for 10 - 12 minutes or until a light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.

6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small sauce pan scald the cream over medium heat.

7. Pour hot cream over the chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt the chocolate and then add the vanilla extract.

8. Set aside to cool.

9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft. Press the flat side of a second cookie on top.

10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies - Gluten Free

There is dancing at our house -- our Girl Scout cookies arrived yesterday. My husband was delighted, as his favorite cookie is the Do-Si-Dos (peanut butter sandwich cookie). Every year we stock up on Do-Si-Dos , but they never last long enough. Now, I need a gluten free version and the Girl Scout cookies are only made with wheat.

We have gone a little overboard for Do-Si-Dos in the past. About four years ago, we even bought a case of Do-Si-Dos and froze them. Once thawed though, they just weren't the same. So, I've been looking for a recipe which would allow my husband to eat something like his favorite cookie more than once a year.

My search has been going on for a while without success until I came across Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever -- From Thursday Nights at Campanile. Within it's pages lies a recipe for Not Nutter Butters, a peanut butter cookie recipe inspired by the Girl Scout version. As her cookies are made with wheat, my mission was laid out for me -- I needed to convert this classic peanut butter sandwich cookie. Off I went to work on my gluten free modification and to test it out. The final cookie is rich, decadent and delightful. A cookie my family can enjoy year round.

Recipe

Cookie Recipe

3 sticks butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup cane sugar
3/4 cup brown or Turbinado sugar
3/4 cup natural style chunky peanut butter (drain off oil, if needed)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup + 1 Tb sweet rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
2 tsp kudzu (kuzu) powder, finely crushed

Peanut Butter Filling Recipe

6 Tb butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup natural style chunky peanut butter

For the Cookies: Wait until the step where the cookie dough is chilling to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Melt 1 stick of the butter in a large skillet and then add the oats. Cook the oats until they are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Keep stirring so the oats don't burn. Once toasted, set aside and allow to cool.

In a bowl place the various flours, oats, salt, soda crushed kudzu powder and blend. Then in the mixing bowl to an electric mixer, place the rest of the butter and beat until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla, then blend. Add the peanut butter and blend. Slowly add the oats and flour blend to the mixing bowl. Make sure the oat and flour blend is thoroughly blended. The cookie dough will still be a little soft, but it will make a ball. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator and allow the dough to chill for about an hour.

Using a melon baller, scoop out twelve balls of cookie dough and arrange on the cookie sheet. Press the cookies down with the tines of a fork. Then bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool before removing them from the cookie sheet.

For the Peanut Butter Cream Filling: In the mixing bowl to an electric mixer, place the butter and beat until creamy. Add the peanut butter and blend. Slowly add the powdered sugar and then beat on medium speed for about 1 minute.

Taking two peanut butter cookies, spread the cream filling on the bottom of the first cookie. Then place the bottom of the second cookie on top of the cream filling. The tops of the cookies should be on the outside.

The aroma that filled the house while these cookies were baking was intoxicating. Everybody was in the kitchen waiting for them to come out of the oven. The taste was divine. All of us agreed that the cookies were delicious. This recipe is a keeper.

I took these cookies to my daughter's book club meeting. Everybody thought they were fabulous and couldn't believe that they were gluten free.

Update April 29, 2007: My family did a taste test with my cookies and the Do-Si-Dos. My cookies got one vote as a winner and the other two couldn't decide which one they preferred. My husband did note the the Girl Scout version really needed to have more peanut butter in the middle like mine. Pretty cool.