Frosted Malt Chocolate Cookies With Sea Salt Food

CHOCOLATE MALTED COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat the shortening, brown sugar, malted milk powder, chocolate syrup and vanilla for 2 minutes. Add egg. , Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chunks and chips. , Shape into 2-in. balls; place 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

FROSTED MALT CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH SEA SALT

Steps:

• Pulse 6 oz. of the chocolate wafers in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Pulse brown sugar, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking powder, kosher salt, and 2 cups of flour in the food processor several times to combine. Add butter and pulse until tablespoons of butter are broken up into bits no larger than a pea. Add to bowl with ground-up chocolate and toss the ingredients to combine.
• Stir vanilla and ⅔ cup cream (remember, you can be a little generous with the cream) in a measuring glass to combine, then slowly drizzle over chocolate mixture, mixing with a fork all the while. Mixture will look dry once you've added all the cream. Knead dough a few times in the bowl (it will not come together and will look crumbly), then transfer to a LARGE piece of plastic wrap. Bring the edges of plastic up and over dough and press down to incorporate floury parts, then wrap tightly. Use the heel of your hand to press down firmly on the dough, forcing it to tightly fill out the plastic. Basically, you're squishing it down. This will help the dough adhere into a single mass and help the flour hydrate. Chill dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out dough between 1 sheet of floured waxed paper on the bottom, and one sheet of plastic wrap on the top, to ¾" thick (you might not have to roll it very much). Punch out rounds with cookie cutter as close together as possible. Use the remaining scraps of dough to make a couple more cookies, by first squishing the scraps together and then re-rolling them out. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze 10 minutes.
• Bake cookies, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until firm to the touch around the edges, 13-18 minutes. (I only baked mine for 12 or 13 minutes.) Let cool on baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, heat corn syrup, remaining 4 oz. chocolate, and remaining ½ cup cream (here's where I'd skimp on the cream measurement) in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bowl should not be touching the water), stirring often, until chocolate is melted and mixture is completely smooth. Set bowl with frosting into a large bowl of ice water and let cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened but still pourable and shiny. Spoon a scant tablespoonful of frosting onto each biscuit; sprinkle with sea salt.

MALT CHOCOLATE AND MARSHMALLOW SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Prepare the cookies: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, malted chocolate powder and baking powder.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey and salt. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour mixture and heavy cream. Mix on low speed until it comes together in a smooth dough. Transfer to a work surface and pat into a 1-inch disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and set aside.
• Prepare the ganache topping: Transfer the chocolate pieces to a small bowl. In a small pot, heat the cream gently over low heat until it just begins to steam, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate pieces. Allow the chocolate and cream mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Set aside.
• Position oven racks near the center and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Once the dough is chilled, unwrap and place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment. Place the second sheet of parchment on top and roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Peel off the top layer of parchment and use it to line one of the baking sheets. Line a second baking sheet with parchment. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out cookies and transfer them to the lined baking sheets, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart. Press scraps together, and fold the remaining parchment over the dough. Reroll and cut out rounds. (You can reroll the dough up to 2 times.) Bake until the cookies are set and the tops lose their shine, about 12 minutes, rotating the pans and switching racks halfway through baking. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes before moving the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the marshmallow filling: In a small pot, combine the sugar, honey, salt and 1/4 cup water. Stir to incorporate and cook over medium-high until the sugar dissolves and the temperature of the syrup reaches 240 degrees, about 5 minutes.
• Add 1/4 cup water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle in the gelatin and gently stir to moisten the grains. Allow the gelatin to bloom, about 3 minutes, while the sugar mixture cooks.
• When the sugar reaches 240 degrees and the gelatin has bloomed, turn the mixer on low, and slowly add the syrup in an even stream. Increase the speed to high and whip the mixture until the meringue is thick and doubled, about 5 to 7 minutes. Scoop the mixture into a piping bag, seal the top by twisting, snip the end and set aside.
• Assemble the cookies: Pipe a 1-inch mound of meringue on the flat side of half the cookies, leaving a 1/8-inch border. Allow to set for 2 to 3 minutes, then top each with another cookie. Thoroughly stir the ganache until smooth. Spoon a tablespoon of ganache in the center of each top cookie and spread evenly over the surface, allowing the ganache to drip down the sides. (If your ganache is completely cooled and set at this point, you can stir and spread it like frosting, or see Tip below for loosening.) Once all the cookies have been topped with ganache, allow the ganache to set slightly, about 5 minutes, and top each with gold leaf accents or luster dust, if using. Allow the cookies to set before serving, about 15 minutes.

FROSTED CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.
• Sift flour, soda, and salt together.
• In the top half of a double boiler, melt the chocolate over low heat.
• Cream together brown sugar, butter, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Slowly mix in the flour mixture and mix until well blended. Pour in melted chocolate, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix well and stir in nuts.
• Drop dough by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Cookies will be soft and about the size of a half dollar.
• When cooled top with Chocolate Frosting.