Every time I eat a cookie I bought at the store I feel slightly guilty. I could just as easily make cookies at home that would, probably, be healthier. Although a more appropriate way to phrase it might be “not as bad for me”. Plus homemade cookies are definitely tastier. But just like everything else, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day. I finally found some time to try making homemade Milano cookies though. And while they’re not quite the same, they certainly disappeared quickly.
While I haven’t been overly impressed with Food Network recipes in the past, I decided to try their recipe for “Milan” cookies. I was pleasantly surprised by the way they turned out. It was easy to turn out thin, oval shape cookies with slightly browned edges.
But there are a few gotchas with the recipe. The cookies are piped onto the cookie sheets for baking. It is a soft, somewhat fluid batter so it’s deceptive to deal with in a pastry bag. It’s important to get the sizing right because they do bake out. In addition, getting the sizing right is important because you want the cookies to be crispy. If you make them too thick, they become cakey. Now while the cakey cookie isn’t really typical of the Milano, it’s still a darn good cookie. The spongy quality allows it to absorb the chocolate ganache and it’s quite tasty.
This is definitely a recipe that calls for some experimentation and plenty of patience. The type of cookie sheet used (insulated versus uninsulated) and knowing how your oven works are important variables in making this recipe. But like I said, even the “failures” were darn good!
