Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookies

If you follow my blog or my twitter, you'll know that I was out of town visiting my boyfriend this past week. You might also know that I got sick upon returning home. Boo. I rarely get sick (thanks immune system!) so when I do it feels like the world is ending. I'm happy to report I am feeling tremendously better today, but am a bit behind on recipes and posting. I could not let myself fall behind on posting this particular cookie recipe though. To not post this recipe would be like not sharing with the world the cure for the common cold. Okay maybe not that dramatic. But seriously, if anyone has that cure I'd really appreciate it!

Back to the cookies. They're good. Soooo goooood. Hence the extra o's. I really hate it when I eat a store-bought chocolate treat only for it to taste like pure sugar on my tongue. Sometimes items that claim to be chocolate don't even taste like chocolate, they just taste sickly sweet. That's the worst. This is why I love finding new ingredients that enhance chocolate's taste and add dimension to a baked good. So far cinnamon, hot pepper, coffee, and espresso have all produced marvelous results. But up until last week I had never tried malted milk powder. That needed to change.

Luckily it wasn't difficult to find at the store (right next to the dried milk powders & cocoa powders for me). But when I opened the container to smell the stuff, I was a little freaked out. It doesn't smell great. But believe me, when added to chocolate, it does great things.

 

Recipe Rundown
Taste: Ridiculously chocolate-y. The malt isn't overpowering at all, it only amplifies the chocolate taste for a lovely depth of flavor.     
Texture: The cookies are crisp at the edges, soft and chewy in the middle while the filling is luscious and smooth. 
Ease: Not hard, but not exactly easy if you're not into baking. I had no trouble with this recipe.
Appearance: I'm really wishing I had some of these cookies right now because that photo above is making me miss them like crazy. They just look like chocolate heaven.

Pros: SO GOOD!
Cons: They only keep for 3 days (like they'll last that long). 
Would I make this again? Oh hell to the yeah.

Chocolate Malt Sandwiches

From Cookies by Martha Stewart

Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies
For the cookies

• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup plain malted-milk powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 creme fraiche (or sour cream)

For the filling

• 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup malted-milk powder
• 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, cocoa powder, malted-milk powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg, vanilla and creme fraiche (or sour cream) and 3 tablespoons hot water. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture.

Space tablespoon-size balls of dough 3.5 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until flat and just firm. 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on parchment on wire racks.

Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Let cool. Mix malted-milk powder and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually mix in half-and-half, chocolate mixture and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, until thick, about 30 mins. Mix on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Assemble cookies: Spread a heaping tablespoon filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat. Sandwiches can be refrigerated between layers of parchment in an air-tight container up to 3 days.