Banilla Nillas

By: Mindy Segal

sandwich cookies

Dessert

Course

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

⅓ c

unsalted butter, at room temperature

⅓ c

shortening

1 pt

confectioners’ sugar, sifted

⅔ c

granulated sugar

extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp

pure vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp

water

3 c

cake flour, sifted

1 tbsp

baking powder

½ tsp

kosher salt

½ tsp

sea salt flakes

Banana Puree

overripe bananas

2 tbsp

granulated sugar

¼ c

water

1 tbsp

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Frosting

1 c

unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c

confectioners’ sugar, sifted

vanilla bean, seeds only

1 tbsp

pure vanilla extract

½ tsp

kosher salt

½ tsp

sea salt flakes

½ c

Butterscotch Sauce, at room temperature

Butterscotch Sauce

1 ⅔ c

firmly packed light brown sugar

1 ⅔ c

firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 c

unsalted butter, at room temperature

vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)

4 c

heavy cream

1 ½ tsp

kosher salt

1 ½ tsp

sea salt flakes

1 tsp

pure vanilla extract

To Finish

8 oz

bittersweet chocolate (preferably 64% cacao), melted

2 oz

Valrhona Dulcey, melted

Mindy Segal, owner of Chicago’s Hot Chocolate and self-proclaimed cookie nerd reveals all in Cookie Love.

When we have overripe bananas, we cook them down and make a puree, which we then use in cakes, sherbet, or frosting—like I do here. I’ve always been somewhat fanatic about how well butterscotch and banana pair up, so I applied the combination to a simple Nilla Wafer–inspired sandwich cookie. A few words to the wise: I bake the cookies low and slow so the edges do not get too dark. You can make the banana puree up to five days in advance. After a few days in the refrigerator, the top layer of the banana puree will oxidize slightly; that’s okay—just scrape it off before using. Finally, the frosting retains a little texture from the banana puree. If you want the frosting to be completely smooth, mix in 4 ounces of melted white chocolate with the butterscotch sauce.

To cut out the cookies, you will need a 2-inch or comparable round cutter. To pipe the frosting, you will need Ateco tip #804.

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and shortening on medium speed for 5 to 10 seconds. Add the sugars and mix on low speed to incorporate. Cream the mixture on medium speed until it is aerated and looks like frosting, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together.
Crack the eggs into a small cup or bowl and add the vanilla and water.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salts.
On medium speed, add the eggs and vanilla, one egg at a time, mixing the first briefly before adding the second, until the batter resembles cottage cheese, approximately 5 seconds for each egg. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together. Mix on medium speed for 20 to 30 seconds to make nearly homogeneous.
Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together but still looks shaggy, approximately 1 minute. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
Stretch out a long sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface and put the dough on top. Pat into a rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until chilled throughout, at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Unwrap the dough, place on a work surface lightly dusted with flour, and cut in half. Leave at room temperature until the dough has warmed up but is still slightly cool to the touch.
Put a sheet of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan on the work surface and dust lightly with flour. Put one dough half on top.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough half into a rectangle approximately 10 by 11 or 12 inches and ¼ inch thick or slightly under. If the edges become uneven, push the edge of a bench scraper against the dough to straighten out the sides. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, periodically dust the top lightly with flour, cover with an additional piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll.
Ease the dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough half and stack it on top. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate the layers until firm, approximately 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. Invert the dough onto a work surface and peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Roll a dough docker over the dough or pierce it numerous times with a fork. Using a 2-inch round cutter, punch out the cookies. Reroll the dough trimmings, chill, and cut out more cookies.
Put the cookies on the prepared sheet pans, evenly spacing up to 16 cookies per pan.
Lower the oven to 300°F. Bake one pan at a time for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies feel firm and hold their shape when touched, 7 to 10 minutes more. Let the cookies cool completely on the sheet pans. Repeat with the remaining pan.

Butterscotch Sauce

In a 6-quart or larger heavy pot over medium heat, combine the sugars and butter until melted. Do not caramelize. (Brown sugar does not taste good caramelized.)
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the vanilla bean. In four stages, add the cream, simmering to partially reduce it before adding more, 4 to 6 minutes in between additions. The cream will boil up vigorously; stir to prevent it from boiling over. Turn off the heat and season with the salts and vanilla extract. Cool completely.
Butterscotch sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Filling the Cookies

To make the puree: Break up the bananas into chunks with your hands. In a small, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, cook the bananas, sugar, water, and lemon juice until the bananas are soft enough to crumble when nudged with a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not caramel¬ize the bananas.
Puree the warm bananas and liquid in a food processor until smooth. While still warm, pour the puree into a storage container and place plastic wrap on top so it is touching the puree (this helps minimize oxidation). Refrigerate until chilled.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter briefly on medium speed for 5 to 10 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until the butter mixture is aerated and pale in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the frosting together. Mix in the vanilla bean seeds, vanilla extract, and salts until evenly incorporated. Fold the banana puree into the frosting until evenly incorpo¬rated. Fold in the butterscotch until evenly incorporated.
Fit a pastry bag with the Ateco tip #804 and fill with the frosting.
Make pairs of similar-size cookies. Turn half of the cookies over. Holding the pastry bag at a 90-degree angle in the center of the cookie, pipe a “bubble” of frosting, leaving a border on the sides. Top each filled cookie with a second cookie and press lightly to adhere.
Put the cookies on a parchment-lined sheet pan and refrigerate until the frosting has set, approximately 30 minutes.

Finishing

Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper. Dip the top of each sandwich cookie into the bittersweet chocolate, shake off the excess, and place face up on the prepared pans. With an offset spatula or a spoon, drizzle the Dulcey Chocolate on top in quick strokes.

Cookie Love

Mindy Segal

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