In my last post, I mentioned my pain in the a$$, but very cute little brother. He is five years younger than I am. When we were kids, much of spare time my was spent looking after him. My parents worked long hours at their business and I was the cheapest (free) and most accessible babysitter around.
There was a corner candy store across the street from my parents’ office, called Larry’s. It was an old fashioned little hole in the wall place with floor to ceiling shelves jam packed with jars of every kind of candy you could think of - Bazooka bubble gum, Twizzlers, candy necklaces and those horrible flavored wax candy lips that you chewed up and spit back out. There was also a magazine rack and a soda fountain complete with big glass jars filled with salted pretzel rods you could get for a nickel. For about a dollar fifty, you could score a chocolate egg cream and a Tiger Beat magazine. When you’re ten, that’s pretty hot stuff!
Every day after school, with a couple of shiny quarters from my dad in my pocket, I would take my brother by the hand and we’d walk across the street to Larry’s. One of the things the little guy used to go for was the malted milk balls. I don’t remember if they were Whoppers or not. Everyone just called them malt balls. My little brother never quite got it right and he used to call them mothballs. The name stuck and to this day, I still find myself referring to them that way!
When I first saw this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops, I was pleased. For one thing, my oven is finally fully functional again, so I was able to participate this week. Also, I knew that my brother would probably love these mothball cookies, so I would be able to unload give away a lot of them. I don’t mind saying that all of these weekly TWD recipes are taking their toll. Even though I usually share everything I make, there is always way too much sweet stuff lying around this house. Don’t tell anyone, but I still have a hunk of that Chocolate Banded Ice Cream Torte in my freezer! Mr. SGCC doesn’t generally eat any desserts at all, and Mini SGCC has suddenly developed an aversion to butter, sugar, flour and eggs. We’re a family of three. You do the math. Since I gave all of my fat pants away years ago, I am seriously at risk!
As for these cookies? Well, they’re a snap to make. The recipe is so easy, it’s almost criminal. You basically just cream together butter and sugar and then dump everything else into the bowl. Then, you scoop out little blobs of cookie dough on to a baking sheet and bake them. That’s it! No muss, no fuss (and no ganache). And boy, are they good!
My cookies turned out perfectly. They were kind of crispy around the edges, while being chewy, gooey and just a tad bit cakey in the middle. A perfect cookie in my mind. The only thing I would do differently next time, (and there definitely will be a next time) is cut the amount of bittersweet chocolate in the recipe. I felt that it kind of overwhelmed the Whoppers. Bittersweet chocolate can be kind of a fame whore. It always wants to steal the show.
Even though the cookies were pretty scrumptious all on their own, I did take a few and made some ice cream sandwiches with them. Let me tell you, that was a good call!
I made up a big plate of these mothball cookies to take in to my brother today. Fortunately, his office is right across the hall from mine. Unfortunately, I liked these cookies so much that I really didn’t want to part with them. Then, I thought about the fat pants……
Many thanks to Rachel of Confessions of a Tangerine Tart for choosing this great recipe for us. If you don’t have Dorie’s book yet and would like to try this recipe, you can find it on Rachel’s site. If you’re interested in seeing some other interesting and creative takes on these cookies, stop by the TWD blogroll and check it out.
Filed Under: Baking, Chocolate, Cookies and Brownies, Desserts, Family, Musings, Recipes, Tuesdays with Dorie
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On September 09, 2008 at 10:04am, Anita said...
I love the ribbon and how you used it! Those cookies look delish! And I love the stories about your brother!
On September 09, 2008 at 10:10am, Obsessive Foodie or Food Addict....You Decide said...
Very Martha Stewartish looking with the grosgrain bow….impressive. Love Malt balls! Especially in ice cream w/caramel swirl.
On September 09, 2008 at 10:11am, Lisa said...
Wow, what a great story. You do bring back memories. Just a week ago some friends were telling me that they used to chew up and eat those icky wax lips as well as those pop bottle shaped wax things with the little bit of colored liquid inside. Ewww!
Anyway, great cookies. I love how appealing that ice cream sandwich looks. YUM!
On September 09, 2008 at 10:27am, kim said...
hehe, great post! love the ribbon in your pics. (ssh… i have some ice cream torte left too 😉 )
On September 09, 2008 at 10:40am, ~Kimberly said...
The ribbon around the cookies is way cute!!!
On September 09, 2008 at 10:50am, Lori said...
oh, that’s such a great story about your brother! it made me melt a little bit, partly because i’ve been really nostalgic lately for the years my kids were younger. your cookies are just gorgeous, and if i were in the presence of those ice cream sandwiches, i’d just haul out the fat pants in the back of my closet and keep on eating.
On September 09, 2008 at 10:58am, Manggy said...
Aw, that is adorable! I wonder if you secretly wish that he’d never grow up and always be so bright-eyed but perpetually annoying, or if you love him even more now as a grown-up you can unload cookies on
I love that you guys are so close geographically, that’s so sweet 
Speaking of sweet, I’ve been suffering through seeing these delicious cookies all over the ‘sphere today! Sigh! When I get a packet of mothballs I usually go through them pretty quickly- no time for cookies, heh!
My heart bled a little when I read mini SGCC has an aversion to the cornerstones of dessert
On September 09, 2008 at 11:12am, Nina Timm said...
It looks as if you are still looking after little brother with him being just across the hall from you…
The cookies look delicious with or without ice-cream.
On September 09, 2008 at 11:21am, CookiePie said...
Oh yum yum yum! What a great sister you are! And those ice cream sandwiches look like they are to die for!
On September 09, 2008 at 11:24am, Rebecca said...
Wow, your photos are fantastic! Beautiful presentations.
On September 09, 2008 at 11:35am, Cristine said...
The ribbon is so cute. I may have to steal that idea!
And your cookies look yummy… especially the ice cream sandwich!
On September 09, 2008 at 11:40am, Mary said...
These cookies sound great! I know what you mean about the fat pants. That’s why I haven’t joined TWD. And thank you for not posting the recipe because I would really want to make these and I don’t have a nearby brother to foist them on!
On September 09, 2008 at 12:03pm, LyB said...
I thought you were calling these “Mothball Cookies” because you didn’t like them, then I read the post. Funny! Your cookies look delicious, hope you and your brother enjoyed them.
On September 09, 2008 at 12:52pm, Jess said...
Your cookies look amazing…especially around ice cream. Love the ribbon!
On September 09, 2008 at 1:04pm, Jules Someone said...
The sandwiches look amazing! And you are very nice to your brother.
On September 09, 2008 at 1:16pm, Maria said...
What cute photos! I love the ice cream in the middle!! Delicious!
On September 09, 2008 at 2:00pm, bakingwiththeboys said...
I think it would be dangerous to put ice cream with them. too good. I used semi-sweet chips and they worked really well.
On September 09, 2008 at 2:02pm, Donna said...
I LOVE the story! And your Fat pants made me laugh! I soooo relate!
Beautiful photos as always! And, damn! I would have liked the ice cream sandwiches too!
On September 09, 2008 at 2:17pm, noble pig said...
This is such a great recipe, I’m going to have to make these, I love malt balls.
On September 09, 2008 at 2:25pm, Jenny said...
WOW, what an awesome post! I am new here and so glad I found your blog. I Look forward to visiting often!
On September 09, 2008 at 2:52pm, Bridgett said...
Ha! I totally remember those wax lips! I am with your hubby… while I love me a good piece of cake from time to time, I normally skip the sweets and lately I have been skipping them altogether. There must be something wrong! Your cookies look glam all tied in the pretty ribbon. I love it!
On September 09, 2008 at 3:02pm, Darius T. Williams said...
Wow do these look good…and your pics. You’ve gotta be using photoshop, right? I need to learn it sooo bad.
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
On September 09, 2008 at 4:02pm, Heather B said...
oh…I bet these made yummy ice cream sandwiches. yum! Great job!
On September 09, 2008 at 5:31pm, mimi said...
glad the little bro got enjoy some mothballs, lol! love the ice cream sandwich, yum!
On September 09, 2008 at 5:46pm, haleysuzanne said...
These sound delicious! I made some cookies several years ago that were soft and chewy, flavored with malt and brown sugar, with white chocolate chips. I lost the recipe on purpose because the batch was gone in two days, mostly due to my inability to resist them. Now I’m going to have to try these! They look delicious!
On September 09, 2008 at 5:46pm, Katrina said...
What a cute post about mothball cookies and fat pants. The cookies look great!
On September 09, 2008 at 6:12pm, Engineer Baker said...
Bittersweet chocolate is a fame whore, I agree. These made me glad I had left the ice creme torte with the boyfriend though - I felt less guilty eating more of them
On September 09, 2008 at 6:18pm, HoneyB said...
I'm with you…>I really don't want to have to buy new fat pants either! Best to keep giving them away….GREAT photos!
On September 09, 2008 at 7:06pm, The Food Librarian said...
What an adorable story about your little bro. I bring my sweets into work and they disappear!
On September 09, 2008 at 9:47pm, n.o.e said...
Great post and really nice pictures. I made ice cream sandwiches with some of mine (that I was going to serve at a dinner party, but ended up going with a platter of cookies instead) but they were a total disaster. How did yours turn out so perfectly?
Nancy
On September 09, 2008 at 10:37pm, StickyGooeyCreamyChewy said...
Thank you all so much for your lovely comments! I’m so glad that you liked my mothball cookies! My brother loved them too.
Thanks also for all your kind words about my little story. I don’t know why, but I have been feeling very nostalgic lately. So many of my happy childhood memories are centered around food, and when I am planning out my posts, they just pop into my head. I’m glad for that because it gives me the oportunity to relive and record it all.
Jenny- Welcome! So glad you came by. I hope you visit often.
Bridgett- Lol! Those wax lips were the worst, but we all loved them, didn’t we?
Darius- I do use Photoshop, but the only thing I know how to do is crop, adjust the lighting levels and the color saturation. I’ve been trying to find a class to learn everything else. There are some good online tutorials, but I just haven’t had tie to check them out yet.
Nancy- I just froze the cookies for about 15 minutes first. Then, I put a scoop of ice cream on one, topped it with the other and gently pressed down. Then, I froze the sandwiches before I shot them.
On September 09, 2008 at 11:21pm, Tartelette said...
Brothers and food, food and brothers…such stories are dear to me and always make me smile! The first picture is just splendid!
On September 10, 2008 at 2:02am, FFichiban said...
Ahhhh never fear! You can always unload your sweet stuff to meeeee :D! These must be the only mothballs that actually attract moths instead 😛
On September 10, 2008 at 2:14am, joanne at frutto della passione said...
So what did your brother say about them???
The candy store you described reminded me so much of a similar place my cousin and I used to go to about 100 years ago. It had the U shaped counter and padded swivel stools and it was run by an old Polish guy. Of course it’s gone now. Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
On September 10, 2008 at 2:42am, Marthe said...
I really enjoyed reading about your fat pants. I’m trying to get out of my fat pants (the TWD isn’t making that very easy), so I took all the cookies to work for my coworkers. They loved them!!
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to post my blog because I had some pc-trouble yesterday. Hopefully I’ll be able to solve that today!
On September 10, 2008 at 3:07am, The DeL Sisters said...
I love the story about the “moth balls”! That’s what we some times call them for fun! Your cookies look perfect!
On September 10, 2008 at 6:33am, Jen of A2eatwrite said...
I really, really, really need to get Dorie’s book.
These cookies would be a ginormous hit with my whopper-loving son.
On September 10, 2008 at 7:49am, rainbowbrown said...
Tiger Beat.
On September 10, 2008 at 7:53am, Mevrouw Cupcake said...
I’ve got a date with some malted milk ice cream-chocolate malted whopper drop ice cream sandwiches tonite and I can’t wait!! Fat pants be damned!
On September 10, 2008 at 9:38am, Autumn said...
Mmmm mothballs never looked so good!
On September 10, 2008 at 10:05am, Grace said...
funny that your bro should call them mothballs, since that’s what they taste like to me.
just kidding-i’ve never tasted mothballs, but i have tasted whoppers and i’ll bet i’d dislike them equally. all that being said, your cookies are still mighty enticing, so you must’ve done something right. 
On September 10, 2008 at 10:55am, Brilynn said...
That sandwich looks awesome!
The only problem I have with these cookies is eating all of the whoppers before they make it into the cookies…
On September 10, 2008 at 10:57am, PheMom said...
I loved all your photos - they are really great! I am definitely going to have to sandwich these cookies with some ice cream soon. I loved your description of that candy store - it reminded me of simpler and fun times as a kid (and how different raising kids is now!). Anyway, I really didn’t want to share these cookies either, so I am proud of you that you still shared them!
On September 10, 2008 at 10:57am, Patsyk said...
I love whoppers and will have to make this cookie soon!
Once again, what a fabulous post about your childhood!
On September 10, 2008 at 12:06pm, Ingrid said...
Wow, I hadn't heard anyone mention egg creams in quite sometime. I'm not fond of chocolate but I loved the Vanilla ones. My mom would once in a while make one for me after we moved to Florida. We did upon occasion get some Mom & Pop restaurants to make them. Anyhoo….I've gotten off on a tangent. Your photos as usual look marvelous! I'm all about the ice cream sandwich.
~Ingrid
On September 10, 2008 at 5:54pm, steph- whisk/spoon said...
i also have a pain in the a$$ brother who is 5 years younger-funny! i bet he was pleased to get a plate full of delicious looking mothball cookies!
On September 11, 2008 at 8:24am, Teanna said...
My brother, also five years younger, is the biggest pain in the a$$ as well! Maybe it’s the age difference? You totally brought a tear to my eye with those wax lips… I could still taste that strange flavor!!! Gorgeous ice cream sandwich!!!
On September 11, 2008 at 8:27pm, Pamela said...
Really, the presentation and the cookies both are just so pretty!
On September 13, 2008 at 11:57am, Prudy said...
I love the ribbon running through your beautiful cookies. It’s almost too pretty too eat. Almost.
On September 15, 2008 at 7:05am, Cakelaw said...
LOL - cute story. In Australia, whoppers are called maltesers - I will always think of them as “mothballs” now. I think the banded chocolate icecream sandwiches are the ones for me - I’d risk fat pants to get my hands on one of those.