Growing up in Hong Kong, Horlicks and Ovaltine used to be my default breakfast drinks. You see, caffeine is for grown-ups so of course no tea nor coffee for us kids. In an attempt to make these malted milk drinks wholesome, my mom used to fortify them with heaping spoonfuls of skim milk powder. When I got to the bottom of my mug, more often than not I would find lumps of skim milk mingled with lumps of malt. Needless to say, the lumps of malt were the good part but I choked down the skim milk lumps nonetheless. That was my morning ritual for a better part of my childhood.
I am fond of the taste of malt and that love naturally extends to other malt flavour candies. Maltesers has always been a treat. During Chinese New Year, families would exchange boxes of chocolates and candies when visiting each other (think hostess gift). Regifting is not out of the question of course. At the end of the evening, my parents would have a short family meeting with me and my little brother and we got to vote on which boxes to keep and which boxes to continue circulation.
Ferroro Rocher? Keeper. Dad's favourite.
Jacob's Orange Club? Yes! And Yes! (that would be me and my brother)
Maltesers? Voting was entirely redundant because it was my Mom's favourite candies and of course Mom always had the last word in these sorts of decisions.
I used to think that Maltesers were a bit plain compared to my Orange Club. Surely milk chocolate balls surrounding a light honeycomb centre of malt is not as exciting as orange cream filled biscuit covered in thick layer of milk chocolate! (for North American readers, Whoppers is the more popular version here) As I got older, I started to appreciate malt more and more (ahem, that has nothing to do with beer). I love the warm toasty flavour. I love how its mellow taste matches so well with milk chocolate. In fact, whenever I see malt being used in a dessert menu, it became my first choice. Perhaps I am becoming more like my Mom? It's too bad that I don't use malt often enough at my own kitchen.
When I saw not one, but four recipes calling for malt in Baked: New Frontiers In Baking, I knew I found kindred spirits. This Brewer's Blondies is a standard blondies flavoured with a double whammy of malted milk powder and crushed milk chocolate malt balls. How can it be anything but awesome in my books?
Brewer's Blondies
adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
makes 24 servings
Ingredients
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp malted milk powder (such as Horlicks or Ovaltin)
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 350g dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate malt ball candies (such as Maltesers or Whopper), coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment, set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and malted milk powder.
- In the bowl of a standmixer, beat together butter and brown sugar at medium speed using the paddle attachment for about 3 minutes until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one by one, ensuring egg is fully incorporated before adding the second one.
- Add dry ingredients into the butter mixture and beat at slow speed until it's barely combined. Do not over mix. Add malt ball candies, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Mix for about 10 seconds until they are distributed in the batter. It will be very thick.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it with an offset spatula. Survey your batter and if you notice there are obvious spots with low concentration of goodies (i.e. all the chocolates and nuts), don't be afraid to press in a few more pieces. I know I would feel cheated if I pick a piece with just one chocolate chip.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until top is golden and toothpick insert into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool on wire rack until completely cooled. With the help of the parchment paper, lift the bar from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into 24 pieces and serve. The guys at Baked recommend that these bars be served warm (about 15 seconds in the microwave would do) with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. I think that would be a great dessert for a barbeque. My preference goes to cutting a piece into four 1" cubes and eat them chilled like bonbon. Chocolate enrobing optional. Now that's decadence!
