If you like Whoppers, you'll LOVE these Malted Milk Ball Cookies. These cookies are so addicting and they won't last long. Tender and chewy, this flavorful cookie is a breeze to make. I offer many old fashioned cookie recipes for you to try.
These old fashioned cookies are almost equally part candy and cookie. The candy part is chunks of chocolate covered malted milk balls and big chips of chocolate.
CHOCOLATE "WHOPPERS" COOKIES
1-3/4 cups flour 1 cup malted milk powder 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1-1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 stick plus 3 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature 2/3 cup white sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp homemade pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup whole milk 2 cups (6oz) malted milk balls (Whoppers), coarsely chopped 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips or chunks
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Sift the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium for 3 minutes or until very smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for one minute after each addition. Add the vanilla and don't be concerned if the batter looks like it is curdled - it will even out when you add the dry ingredients.
Reduce to low and add half of the dry ingredients only mixing until it disappears into the batter. Mix in the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until they just disappear in the batter. Do not over beat. The batter will look like frosting, and that is fine. Fold in the malted milk balls and chopped chocolate.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between spoonfuls. Bake for 11-13 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 them rest for two minutes and transfer them to cooling racks. Repeat with remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches. Excellent malted milk ball cookies, if I say so myself.
TIPS TO Make PERFECT Chocolate Covered Strawberries
SECRET #1 There are many way to prepare these strawberries, but I am going to give you my easy methods. When you are melting the chocolate over a double boiler, don't let the water touch the bottom of your upper pan. Heat until only 1/2 of the chocolate is melted, then remove from heat and stir gently until it is all melted.
The chocolate should actually be cool or tepid to the touch. If it's hot, chances are it will seize up and thicken. If it does that, no amount of heating or stirring will fix it.
If you don't have a double-boiler, use a saucepan - bring the water to a boil, and then use a stainless steel bowl to rest in the saucepan to melt the chocolate.
SECRET #2 Strawberries are grown with many pesticides, so rinse the strawberries first with a veggie wash, and let them drain on paper towels until they were thoroughly dry so the chocolate would adhere properly. Any moisture would have interfered with the chocolate adhering.
SECRET #3 Spike the strawberries! Fill a syringe with a sweet white dessert wine, and slowly inject the wine into the strawberries from near the stem (after you've done the dipping in chocolate.) You want to inject enough wine to saturate the berries, but watch not to add too much otherwise they end up becoming runny. These are always a hit when I bring them to dinner parties.
SECRET #4 Pierce the strawberries on the stem side with a toothpick. Holding the strawberry by the toothpick, dip into the chocolate mixture. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into Styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.
A delicious twist on my favorite red velvet cake recipe. Yum.
HOMEMADE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Ingredients
CRUST: 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup butter, melted 1-1/2 TBS white sugar shaved chocolate bar
CHEESECAKE: 3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened 1-1/2 cups white sugar 4 eggs, beaten 3 TBS cocoa, unsweetened 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup buttermilk* 1 TBS pure vanilla extract 1 tsp white vinegar 2 (1oz) bottles of red food coloring
TOPPING: 3 oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 2 tsp pure vanilla extract shaved chocolate bar, for garnish
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees. The cake is baked with a water bath to prevent cracking. Wrap a large pan with foil (big enough for the spring form pan to fit in).
Mix the graham crackers and sugar together and add the melted butter. Mix with a fork and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with chocolate shavings from a candy bar.
Beat 3 packages of cream cheese with 1-1/2 cups white sugar until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared spring form pan and place in the center of the foil covered pan. Fill with water.
Bake for 10 minutes and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 70-80 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center is firm. Cool completely on a wire rack.
TOPPING: Beat the cream cheese with the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with the shaved chocolate bar.
*Buttermilk: Place 1-1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice in 1/2 measuring cup and fill remainder with milk. Wait 15 minutes, stir, and it's ready for this recipe.