Daring Baker

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.

As I have been away for most of the month, I knew I was a bit pressed for time for this month's Daring Baker. Plus, it was PH's birthday and a birthday cake was needed. So what's a girl to do but make a Chocolate Cheesecake with a Milan cookie crust. That's right - Daring Baker and Birthday Caker Maker all in one.

I crushed the Milan cookies and mixed them with butter to make a cookie crumb crust for the cake. Then, I dipped the Milan cookies in chocolate and crushed nuts. The kids actually helped with the cake so it more than a little messy (warning for photo). The result - the cookies on their own were good, and the cookie crust was good but not great. The lemon flavor in the Milan cookies really comes through. The crust would have been perfect with a plain or lemon cheesecake. Overall, a successful Daring Baker/Birthday Cake Medley.

My Assistant shows off the final result!

And this Assistant conducted several taste tests!

A quick quiet cup of tea.

Happy Birthday PH!

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 (I used lemon and it was fine)

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.