Cookie Recipe #359 - Custard-Filled Cookies

Make the custard first in this recipe and let it chill while you make the cookies. Spread on top, sprinkle with cinnamon, confectioners' sugar or cocoa and viola! it's a cookie!

Ingredients: Custard: 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, one 1/2-inch piece vanilla beat split lengthwise OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 large egg yolks, room temperature.
Cookies: 1/2 cup butter, softened, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Topping: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, OR 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar OR 1 teaspoon cocoa powder.

Instructions: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat condensed milk with vanilla bean or vanilla extract until small bubbles form on surface.

Whisk egg yolks in a medium bowl. Stirring constantly, slowly add 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg yolks. Add the tempered egg yolks to the milk mixture in the saucepan. Stirring constantly with a metal spoon or whisk, cook for 5 minutes or until custard heavily coats the back of a spoon. Be careful not to let the custard boil.

Strain custard through a sieve. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix butter and sugar in medium bowl; add egg and cream and mix until thoroughly blended. Scrape sides of bowl. Add the flour and blend on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets 1 inch apart. With your thumb or the back of a small spoon, form a small depression in center of each ball.

Bake 15-17 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown. Transfer cookies to cool, flat surface. When cookies cool to room temperature, spoon or pipe in 1 1/2 teaspoons of chilled thickened custard. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, confectioners' sugar or cocoa, if desired.

Makes 1 1/2-2 dozen cookies.

"Mrs. Fields Cookie Book", Time-Life Books Inc., Alexandria, VA, 1992.

Cookies Rule!!!