Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops

For casual baking, there is almost nothing that can beat a really good chocolate chip cookie (in my opinion, anyway). Sometimes though, I feel the need to mix it up a little, so it was great to come across a recipe for something a little different...but just as easy as my favorite cookie. Enter: Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops (from, of course, "Baking: from my home to yours" by Dori Greenspan). My favorite part about these is the way that the Whoppers melt just a bit in the oven, and become kind of chewy as they cool.



Here is Ms. Greenspan's description, which is just too delightful to leave out here:
"If you’re thinking that these sound like something right out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, you’re right. They are almost equal parts candy and cookie. The candy part is chunks of chocolate-covered malted milk balls and big chips of chocolate, while the cocoa cookies are soft and lightly flavored with malted milk powder. If Mr. Wonka had a soda fountain, I’d bet these cookies would be on his menu."



Let's get to making them already!


Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops
Makes: about 30 cookies
Recipe found in “Baking: from my home to yours” by Dori Greenspan


What you’ll need:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup malted milk powder (I used regular Ovaltine, but you can use the chocolate-malt kind instead)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature (11 tablespoons total)
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups (6 oz) chocolate covered malted milk balls (Whoppers)
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped or 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

To make:
Position racks to divide oven in thirds and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Turn oven on to 350 deg.

Sift together the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer and a large bowl), beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled – it will even out when the dry ingredients are added. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add half the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Mix in the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. The batter will look more like fudge frosting than cookie dough – and that’s fine. With the mixer on low, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the malted milk balls and chopped chocolate.

Drop the dough b y rounded tablespoonfuls onto the sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between spoonfuls (I was able to fit 9 cookies per sheet). Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 6 minutes. When done, the cookies will be puffed and set but slightly soft to the touch. Let the cookies rest for 2 minutes before using a wide metal spatula to transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.