Tag Archives: peppermint

My spacial reasoning skills are not strong, not strong at all.  These cookies appear in about four different sizes, yet when I was piping them out, they all seemed “close enough.”  I keep a ruler (a clean, only used for baking ruler) in the kitchen to help with accuracy in baking.  I’m not saying these cookies need a ruler, but it would have helped me judge size a whole lot better.

I was in the mood to make some cookies because I wanted to bake something simple.  Homemade milanos are not the simplest of cookies, but they are extremely tasty.  Sandwich cookies always make me feel a little guilty, two cookies for the price of one PLUS a filling – bonus!  But hey, it’s okay.

I gave these cookies to Nicole because she had been out of work for a week due to an injury.  Usually we eat lunch together on Mondays and Thursdays, and I’ve missed her.  She enjoyed the cookies tremendously and I hope the cookies help her heal faster.  I enjoyed the cookies tremendously too.

A little secret – I had only a few cookies left to share because I ate so many, whoops, sometimes that happens.  It’s a good cookie.  This cookie has plenty of cooling mint flavor and a lovely chew.  I love the little bit of chocolate in the middle, it’s still nice and soft.  The cookie is not crispy like store-bought milanos, but chewy.  It’s a good thing!

One Year Ago – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Print the Recipe!

Chocolate Mint Milano Cookies

adapted from Sacramento Street

Yield – 24 cookies of varying sizes…

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

6 egg whites

2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

1/2 tablespoon peppermint extract

1 1/2 cups cups flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 tablespoon peppermint extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed.  Beat until just combined and then turn to high speed and beat until light and fluffy.

3. On medium speed beat in the egg whites one at a time.  Scrape the bowl as needed.

4. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts until everything is well combined.

5. Mix in the flour until just combined.

6. Use a piping bag to pipe small ovals on the parchment paper at least 2 inches apart, the dough spreads a lot, so leave space.  The smaller the better, think about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide.

7. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

8. Cool on the baking sheet and then match pairs by size.  Set aside to fill.

9. To make the chocolate filling, first scald the cream in a small sauce pan.  Pour over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 1 minutes.

10. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and then stir in the extract.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes to firm up.

11. Use a spatula to spread a layer of chocolate on the bottom of one of the cookie pairs.  Match the bottoms together and allow to harden.

I believe, like many others, that macarons are my nemesis.  The only reason I’m posting is because after 2 failed batches, I needed something, and at least this batch tasted delicious!  I have no feet!  Where are the feet?????  The problem is probably under-mixing, but I don’t know, look for batch 4 soon.

The first time I made macarons they came out perfectly!  But that was almost 18 months ago.  I tried making macarons last summer and was almost in tears on the kitchen floor.  It has taken me a year to get back on the macaron-horse.  Since I’ve been making homemade ice cream, I had a lot of egg whites laying around, why not use them for macarons!

Last summer when I went to Montreal, I had beautiful, perfect macarons at high tea, and I want to make macarons like that!  Is it too much to ask for?  I want a beautiful, un-cracked top, spongy feet, and a light middle.  I’m a pretty competent baker, I just don’t know what is wrong with my macaronage!

Don’t rely to heavily on my directions here, visit Brave Tart or another macaron-goddess for directions.  I will say these taste delicious!  The texture isn’t perfect, however.  The mint chocolate buttercream is amazing!  I’m excited to think of what I can do with all the leftovers in the freezer!

Print the recipe.

Mint Chocolate Macarons
Adapted from Brave Tart
Yield – 24 sandwich cookies

115 g almond flour – I used Bob’s Red Mill
230 g powdered sugar
144 g egg whites
72 g sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeded
2 g kosher salt
small squirt of green gel food coloring – I used Americolor Electric Green

1. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and draw 1 1/2″ circles about 1” apart.  Flip the parchment paper over.  Set up a piping bag with a plain round tip.
2. Sift together the almond flour and the powdered sugar.  You’ll have to force it through the sieve.  As long as you have less than 2 tablespoons of chunks, you’re ok.  Just put the chunks in the sifted mixture.
3. Add the egg whites, sugar, vanilla bean, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
4. Whisk at level 4 (KitchenAid Stand Mixer) for 3 minutes.
5. Whisk at level 7 for 3 more minutes.
6. Whisk at level 8 for 3 additional minutes.
7. Add in the food coloring and whisk at level 10 for 1 more minute.  The meringue should be very stiff and dry at this point.  Remove the bowl from the mixer.
8. Dump all of the dry ingredients into the meringue.  With a rubber spatula, fold for 25 strokes.
9. Look at the mixture, it should look chunky.
10. Fold for 15-20 more strokes.  STOP!  Walk away, do not over mix.  The mix should flow, but not be a liquid.
11. Add half the mixture to your piping bag and pipe circle within each circle you drew.  Repeat with the second half of the mixture.
12. Take each baking sheet and individually bang it hard on the counter 3-4 times.
13. Let the macarons sit on the counter for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 300 F.
14. Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes or until a macaron can easily peel off the parchment paper.
15. Let cool before matching and filling.

Mint Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Also adapted from Brave Tart

5 ounces egg whites
5 ounces sugar
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
scrapings from 1 vanilla bean
1 pound butter (4 sticks), room temperature
6.5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Place the mixing bowl in a double boiler.  The pot only needs to have a thin layer of simmering water.
2. Whisk the egg whites frequently while they heat.  Cook until the mixture is no longer gritty.
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals and stirring in between.  Set aside.
4. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whisk on high speed for 6-10 minutes or until the bowl is cool to the touch.  The egg whites should have whipped into a stiff, shiny, meringue.
5. With the mixer still going on medium speed, add in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time.  The frosting may get a little loose, but just keep beating, it will all come together and get stiff.
6. Pour in the cooled, melted chocolate and the peppermint extract, beat until combined.
7. Add the frosting to a piping bag and pipe on half the macaron shells.
8. Sandwich the cookies and place in an airtight container overnight to mature in flavor.