Malted milk chocolate cookies for the sleepless

 

Dear Cake Doctor

My two little boys just won’t go to sleep at night – they’re so excitable they stay up all hours and I just don’t get any downtime to myself anymore! Please help me get my evenings back?

Love,

Sleepless

———————

Dear Sleepless

It sounds as though you’re all overtired – too much excitement at bedtime, resulting in routinely late nights! Your boys need something to soothe and settle before they hit the hay and you could do with something delicious to devour slowly with a hot cup of mint tea on the sofa once they’re tucked in. I’m prescribing you malted milk Malteser cookies. They’re very easy to pull together – you probably have all of the ingredients already.

Before you start though, mix up some extra malted milk powder with warm milk for your boys to sip while they watch you gently incorporate the ingredients. Then, pop them (the cookies, not the boys) in the oven for ten minutes, leave to cool a little, and share with your boys as a reward for heading to bed immediately afterwards! Then, put on the kettle, and settle on the sofa with your dunkable cookies and tea. Now that’s a natural remedy for all the family if ever I saw one!

Love,

The Cake Doctor x

———————

125g unsalted butter at room temperature (or if fridge cold, zapped in the microwave for 30 seconds)

100g soft light brown sugar

50g caster sugar

1 egg (preferably at room temperature)

90ml milk

75g Horlicks malted milk powder

180g plain flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

120g Maltesers

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

 

 

Place the butter and two kinds of sugar in to a large bowl, and beat with a freestanding electric mixer (use the ‘paddle’ attachment), a handheld electric whisk, or just a wooden spoon.

 

Add the egg and continue to beat until fully incorporated.

 

 

Measure out the milk in a medium-sized jug and add the malted milk powder. Stir the powder into the milk with a fork.

  

 

Remove the bowl from the electric mixer, or change to a spatula if you were using a wooden spoon.

Pour the milk and malted milk powder mix into the butter, sugar and egg mix. Stir in carefully with the spatula.

 

 

Now sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt over the mixture and incorporate gently.

 

 

Chop the Maltesers in half. Pop a few in your mouth.

 

 

Now, fold the halved Maltesers into the mixture.

 

 

Then, dollop tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking tray, leaving adequate space between each mound of dough so your cookies have room to spread.

 

 

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges. Don’t worry if the cookies don’t look entirely set when you take them out of the oven – they’ll continue to cook a little as they sit and cool.

 

After about 10 minutes, the cookies should be sufficiently set to move to a rack to cool completely – although they’re delicious devoured while still warm.

Now, put on the kettle and exchange a cookie with your boys in exchange for going to bed. Once they’re settled, brew your tea, and put a couple of cookies on a plate for dunking – you’ll feel relaxed and rested in no time. And if your boys creep out asking for another, send them back with a promise of one in each lunch box tomorrow!

 

Love,

The Cake Doctor x