Chocolate Malted Milk Balls

I was one of those weird kids growing up who loved chocolate malt balls. I think I took after my mom with regards to my taste in most chocolate stuff (i.e. dark and semi-bitter), with the sole exception that she likes fruit with hers and I'm a purist. Maltesers and Whoppers are all well and good, of course, and are a definite bonus at the theatre, but they're also not the best quality chocolate-wise - and it's a milk chocolate, at that. This past holiday season though, I finally got the opportunity to make my own version of the poppable treats, and it turns out that making dozens of them is as easy as whipping up meringue. 

Without their chocolatey coating, these drops clock in on the low end of the calorie and fat scale too - after all, it's only egg whites, cocoa, malt powder and a touch of sugar. Then again, that bittersweet chocolate coating really works with the sweet(ish) centres to balance the flavours, and definitely helps to make these a grown up goodie!

Of course, like with all good things, these malt balls come with a small caveat - they take forever to make. Oh, the meringue whips up in 8 minutes flat (at least in my mixer), but you might want to make yourself comfortable while piping out trays of malted milk mall drops. Of course, since it's meringue and it needs to be crunchy, the baking is long, slow and low, finally ending with two hours of cooling in the oven for good measure.

Worth it? You bet - if the taste alone doesn't get you, the nostalgia sure will!

Chocolate Malted Milk Balls
Adapted from Desert Culinary
Makes 2 sheet trays, 6 servings
2 egg whites
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder
2 tbsp malted milk powder (like plain Ovaltine)
200 g bittersweet chocolate, melted for coating (I used plain ol' Bakers)

1. Heat oven to 225F (or 200F convection, which is what I used) and line 2 baking sheets with SilPat
2. Whip the egg whites in a mixer until frothy.
3. Slowly add the superfine sugar and beat until mixture reaches firm peaks.
4. Sift the powdered sugar, cocoa, and malt powder into the egg white mixture and gently (but quickly) fold the mixture together until evenly coloured.
5. Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a small, plain round tip.
6. Pipe small dots onto the baking sheet (you can keep them close together, they don’t spread) and bake for about 50-60 minutes (45-50 minutes convection). They will be done when they easily pull off the baking sheet.
7. Turn off the oven and cool inside for 2 hours.
8. Toss in melted chocolate and enjoy!

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 280.1
Total Fat: 11.6 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 30.6 mg
Total Carbs: 40.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.5 g
Protein: 4.1 g