Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookies

This is a true chocolate craver's cookie. It involves lots of cocoa powder, semi sweet chocolate, sour cream, cream cheese, and malted milk powder. I do not even want to know the calorie count.

Random hints and thoughts on this recipe:

You have to place them far apart on the cookie sheet because they spread out like crazy into these flat rounds you see here. It's almost miraculous.

The filling might make an excellent cupcake frosting.

Use a portion scoop to measure out the cookies onto the cookie sheet so that they will be evenly sized. 

I'm thinking about making them smaller next time. 

Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookies

This recipe makes 18 sandwiches, more if you make them smaller. Adapted from Martha Stewart. 

Cookies

2 C plus 2 T all purpose flour

1/2 C Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/4 C plain malted milk powder (it's in the grocery store near the Ovaltine) 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 C unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

1 3/4 C sugar

1 large room temperature egg

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 C sour cream

3 T hot water

Filling

10 ounces chopped semi sweet chocolate

4 T unsalted butter cut into small pieces

1 C malted milk powder (I used 3/4 C malted milk powder and 1/4 C Ovaltine)

3 ounces room temperature cream cheese

1/4 C plus 2 T half and half

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

For the cookie wafers:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line sheet pans with parchment paper (I like to bake my cookies one sheet at a time.. it's probably my oven. I have four sheet pans, and I used all four so I didn't have to wait for the pans to cool.)

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, 1/4 C malted milk powder, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly blended.

Using a stand or hand held mixer, mix the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, sour cream, and hot water, reduce the speed to low, and slowly mix in the dry ingredients. 

Place tablespoon sized (or smaller) balls of dough 3 to 5 inches apart on the parchment lined sheet pans and bake until flat and firm, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Pull the parchment, cookies and all, onto wire racks and let them cool. 

For the filling:

Melt the semi sweet chocolate and butter in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water while stirring constantly. You can also try melting the mixture in the microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring in between. Let the mixture cool.

Using a mixer, mix in the malted milk powder and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly mix in the half and half, the melted chocolate mixture, and the vanilla. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  

Beat the chilled mixture for 3 minutes on high speed. 

Assembling the cookies

Spread a rounded tablespoon of frosting on one cookie and place another cookie on top. Press together.

Keep the cookies refrigerated up to three days. 

I am sending these cookies to Twelve Weeks of Christmas Treats. Hop on over here to check out all of the other wonderful goodies to add to your Christmas dessert table.