Malted Dark Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
Last but certainly not least, in my top three favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes is my Malted Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie. Have you ever had a malted cookie before? Or how about a chocolate malt milkshake? Malt flavor is hard to describe but once you try it you can understandably fall in love. It has a flavor that adds a toasted almost toffee like vibe that really will have everyone guessing, “what the heck is in this cookie?! It’s so good!”
I use brown butter, malt powder, milk powder, three different types of chocolate chips and toffee bits to make this over-the-top chocolate chip cookie. If you supported me in my home bakery days, this was the base recipe for my dark chocolate, toffee, and roasted pecan cookie. It was so popular during the holidays, and I get asked still if I could bring it back. Seriously yummy cookie!
Why I love This Cookie
-Layers of Flavor-using brown butter as the base and building off the nutty, toffee-like flavor with the dark chocolate, salt, malt, and toffee bits, really gives this cookie a complex flavor. It is bitter, salty, sweet, and a tiny bit earthy with the best chewiness from the toffee bits.
-Malt Powder-this ingredient is a secret weapon to give this cookie a uniquely distinct taste. I grew up drinking my weight in chocolate malt milkshakes on family road trips. My dad is from Michigan and we would do a yearly trip when I was little from Texas to Michigan to visit my grandparents. How I loved a diner chocolate malt shakes with a cherry on top. It is one of my top favorite foods to enjoy and that malty deliciousness is a flavor I love, and it pairs remarkably well in this chocolate chip cookie.
-Texture- I do add a small amount of cornstarch in this cookie because I like a softer, taller cookie. This results in a soft bite with crisp edges and a doughy middle that stays soft for days.
-Chocolate- I am using three different types of chocolate in this cookie. A bit excessive? Never. The dark chocolate adds a nice bitterness to the cookie while the milk and semisweet chocolate add sweetness. I love the use of different types of chocolate because it makes it a more dynamic cookie.
-Special Occasion- This could be your everyday go to cookie, I am not one to gatekeep how you want to enjoy your cookies! But for me, it is a wonderful special occasion cookie and one that I love to make and share for special occasions and holidays. It is a very decadent celebration-type cookie for me and I like to make a double batch to keep in the freezer for easy baking when a special occasion arrives.
Ingredients You Need
–Browned Butter -don’t skimp on this one, it elevates the flavor of this cookie.
-Brown & Granulated Sugar
-Eggs
-Flour
-Malt Powder-I am using King Arthur non-diastatic malt powder. Many bakers will use it to improve the flavor of bread and bagels but I will be using a small amount in this cookie recipe to give it a toffee like flavor. Malt powder is sprouted barley and wheat that is then roasted and ground up as a powder to add as a flavoring agent to different foods. A scoop of this in a chocolate milkshake? Oh YES.
-Vanilla Extract
-Baking Soda & Powder
-Dark Chocolate Bar-Use a high-quality dark chocolate for this cookie and roughly chop into 1-inch pieces. I like the variety of sizes between the chopped chocolate and the chocolate chips in this cookie. I used Green & Blacks 3.4-ounce organic dark chocolate bar in this recipe but any favorite chocolate bar you love will do.
-Milk & Semisweet chocolate chips
-Cornstarch- I am not using much, only a tablespoon, to give this cookie a slight lift and more thickness. If you would like a flatter and crisper cookie you can omit this ingredient.
-Flaked Smoked Sea Salt- One of my favorite flavor combinations is dark chocolate and sea salt. The addition of Maldon Smoked Sea Salt brings out the flavor of the chocolates used in this recipe while also balancing the sweetness of the cookie.
-Toffee Bits-these add another layer of toffee flavor in conjunction with the brown butter and malt powder. They melt into the cookie and create a wonderful chewiness throughout.
Let’s Cookie!
In a stand mixer I add the brown butter and sugars and cream on high for several minutes until it is pale. I usually have batches of brown butter I keep in the fridge in 8-ounce containers for baking and cookie needs, so the butter I used was room temp and semi solid when I added it to the mixer with the sugar.
After the butter and sugar are creamed together I add in room temperature eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. I then add the salt and vanilla extract and mix on medium high for 3-4 minutes.
In a separate bowl, I sift together the dry ingredients then add to the mixer on low speed. Make sure to not over mix the dough.
Next, I chop the dark chocolate into rough one inch pieces and add it to the mixer along with the other two chocolate chips. Mix on low a few turn until the chocolate is mixed in. The dark chocolate might break down slightly due to the mixer, that’s ok! That is why we chopped it a little larger than we needed.
I use a 3-ounce cookie scoop and portion out 18 cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet. I love the way the dark chocolate sticks out of the cookie dough. These are going to be amazing cookies. Also, If you want to sneak a bite of the dough, I would do so at this time. The malt flavor in the cookie dough is so good and it makes me want to make a chocolate malt cookie dough shake. An upcoming blog post idea? Maybe!
I let the dough chill in the fridge overnight. I do this for several reasons, the most important is allowing the flavors of the dough to come together and reach their full potential. Also, I want a cookie that bakes up taller, and refrigerating the dough will help achieve that as well.
Bake these cookies at 375*F for 9-12 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet. I look for golden brown sides and tops before taking them out of the oven. This is the perfect time to sprinkle smoked sea salt on top and let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
What you end up with is an intensely delicious chocolate chip cookie. Pools of different types of melted chocolate is surrounded by buttery toffee cookie dough with a warm malt flavor that lingers on your tongue, making you wonder, “is this the best chocolate chip cookie ever?” It is. It truly is.
If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram and Facebook. New posts every Tuesday and Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!
Malted Dark Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks brown butter
- 2½ cups flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp malt powder
- 1 tspn baking soda
- 1 tspn baking powder
- 1½ tspn salt
- 3.4 ounce bar of dark chocolate roughly chopped
- ½ cup semisweet chips
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup toffee bits
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream brown butter and sugars until light in color.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add vanilla and salt and continue to mix in on low. Scrape down the bowl before adding dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl sift all of the dry ingredients then add to the butter mixture on low. Mix until just combined, do not overmix.
- Chop dark chocolate into roughly one inch pieces and add to the dough along with the other chocolate chips and toffee bits. Mix for a few turn on low until the chocolate is mixed in.
- Remove bowl from mixer and use a spatula to make sure the bottom of the bowl is mixed well and the chocolate is evenly distributed.
- Using a 3-ounce cookie scoop, portion out 18 pieces of cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking tray.
- Refrigerate dough overnight to allow the flavors to develop and the flour to rest.
- Preheat oven to 375* and bake 6-8 cookies per tray at a time for 9-12 minutes. Look for golden brown tops and sides.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with sea salt as they cool. Transfer cookies to wire rack after 5 minutes to continue cooling.
- Enjoy!
