Chocolate Malted Whopper Cookies

As I write this post, I’m polishing off the other 6 ounces of Whoppers that weren’t needed for this recipe. I mean come on, how often do you have extra Whoppers on hand in the house? And they’re healthy, right? There’s some wholesome milk in them.

At any rate, last week I borrowed Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours, from the local library. The book is simply amazing. I’m sure to order my very own copy very soon. First, it’s huge. Over 500 pages long. Most of the recipes are photographed. That really matters to me. There are few things that I dislike more than a photo-less cookbook. I started exploring the book in the cookie section, of course. There are many that I’m going to make, but the one that really caught my eye was the Chocolate Malted Whopper Drop Cookies. Ms. Greenspan references Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory in her introduction to the recipe. How could I go wrong?

One final note: These cookies are even better after they’ve chilled out in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Chocolate Malted Whopper Cookies – adapted from Dorie Greenspan, Baking From My Home to Yours

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup malted milk powder (I used chocolate Ovaltine)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 cups Whoppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used chunks)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

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

In a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. At this point the mixture may look curdled.  Don’t worry, it will even out as the dry ingredients are added.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients. Mixing just until combined. Mix in the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until the dough is just incorporated. Do not over mix. With the mixer on low, add the chopped Whoppers and chocolate chunks.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the sheet leaving 2 inches of space between cookies. Bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the sheet after 6 minutes. When done, the cookies will be puffed but slightly soft to the touch. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

white chocolate mocha blondies

So, you know how I made those Strawberry-White Chocolate Blondies a few weeks ago. Since then I’ve barely missed a day of baking up a new blondie concoction. So what the heck. Let’s just call it Blondie Week on made by mike. There are worse ways to celebrate a rainy spring week. Am I right?

After trying several “base” recipes for the blondie batter, I’ve finally settled on one that I love. I found it through Smitten Kitchen. Deb swears by Mark Bittman’s basic butterscotch brownie recipe from his phenomenal cookbook, HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING. I go back to this book frequently for the basics in cooking. Honestly, if I could only have one cookbook, this would be it.

From Bittman’s blondie base you can add your own mix-ins and flavors. It’s nearly impossible to go wrong. The flavor combination possibilities are endless.

Want to know how you can get a freshly baked batch of these blondies or other baked goodies? Check back on Monday, May 2 for all the details about the first Made by Mike Relay for Life Bake Sale. My partner Greg will be participating, for the second year, in the Relay for Life. All proceeds from the event benefit the American Cancer Society. Greg will be walking in memory of his father.

White Chocolate Mocha Blondies – Adapted from Mark Bittman’s HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix melted butter with brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg, vanilla and instant espresso powder.

Add salt and flour. Mix until just combined. Add white chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed in batter.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the middle is set. Do not over bake. Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then lift using the foil or paper and transfer the blondies to a rack to cool completely. Remove the foil or paper and cut into squares.

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the list: an update

I thought that it might be a good time for a “list” update. In the last couple of weeks I finished two more items. I made Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken with Croutons and I read an entire book in a day. The chicken was great and the book was short.  Just eighty pages. But hey, it counts. Oh, and anyone from work that checks out my blog, please don’t read anything into my book selection. I was checking out a friend’s book shelves and went for the shortest. Though the book did provide a great deal of insight into many aspects of life. Did you know that’s it’s perfectly ok to quit something? It’s true. One thing I’m not going to quit? This list. In fact, I think I may need to pick up the pace if I hope to get through them all.

Five down, thirty-two to go… To be continued…

i heart the following things

1. and always #1…the Gregster.
2. friends and family.
3. cheese.  All kinds of cheese.
4. keane's new album Perfect Symmetry. It's a little different from their last albums, but I'm quite enjoying it. I don't think there's a single stinker track on  it. My favorites include Better Than This, You Don't See Me, and Pretend That You're Alone.
5. just finished a book, The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. It's a sort-of coming of age story about a kid in High School and his attempts to fit in. It was just excellent.
6. the killers new album Day & Age. Another near perfect, dare i say, high-end album from the boys from Las Vegas. Standout tunes include Human, Spaceman, A Dustland Fairytale, and This Is Your Life.
7. not having to watch a constant stream of political commercials.
8. continuing chatter of an upcoming movie based on the cult-hit sitcom, Arrested Development.
9. Top Chef New York, Top Chef New York, Top Chef New York!
10. having more than one day off in a row from work.

how sweet it was

It’s Wednesday morning and it’s already been a very busy week. Monday
night, I had a big event to manage at work. It went off without a hitch
and everyone associated with it were pleased. Last night Greg and I
joined our friends David and Marc at Blossom Music Center to see James
Taylor in concert. David is a big fan, and Marc won the tickets plus
VIP passes. And trust me, VIP status makes concerts much more
enjoyable. We had close parking, special lounge and restrooms with no
lines. The concert was great. J.T. put on a wonderful show and had a
lot of energy for a fella his age. He’s got a great voice.

Tonight
we have David Giffels speaking at the Library. He just published a book
about his renovation of a house in Highland Square. It’s one of those
book I couldn’t put down, once I started it. It’s rare that I can start
and finish a book in one weekend. Funny, touching and wonderful.