ISO Recipe for Malt Balls

[gfron1]

I want to make a candy that has the texture of a malt ball, but will have a different flavor. Ultimately, I am going to chop up what is made to get the powder...any ideas?

[Kerry Beal]

I want to make a candy that has the texture of a malt ball, but will have a different flavor.  Ultimately, I am going to chop up what is made to get the powder...any ideas?

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This is a difficult one. Malt balls are made under vacuum to make them puff up. I wonder if you could somehow substitute something like a really bubbly sponge toffee.

[gfron1]

I was also thinking maybe the dry (v. chewy) nougats - which may be in your confectionary 101. Again, ultimately I'm going to powderize the result anyway, so what it becomes is less important than what it will become (you know what I mean )

[Emily_R]

I'm confused -- if you are eventually going to chop it up to get powder, doesn't that essentially take away its malt-ball consistency (that air-puffed thing?) In which case, if you aren't going for the taste of malt balls, and you won't be biting into some kind of puff, what's the point?

[gfron1]

Hmmm...this is hard to explain. I don't want the taste at all. In fact, I'm going for chocolate mint for my taste. The texture of a malt ball is very different from say, pixie sticks. Its closer to astronaut ice cream (if that reference has meaning). Its like a freeze dried product in its texture. Now, this won't make it sound appetizing, but think floral foam.

I want to be able to finely chop the floral foam/astronaut ice cream into a course powder and reform it into something else.

I know this is totally a goofy request, but geez, I can't stop my mind from thinking of stuff like this.

[baroness]

For that texture, an old-fashioned seafoam or sponge candy would work (the recipes that add baking soda at the end of cooking)...flavorwise, these tend to be slightly molasses-y.

Edited June 25, 2007 by baroness (log)

[LucyInAust]

Not sure if your malt balls are a completely different thing to ours here in Australia ... but I assumed they were something similar to a honeycomb type recipe? where the bicarb soda causes the texture?

[Kerry Beal]

How about using the freeze dried chocolate ice cream, leaving it in an airtight container for a couple of days with a couple of drops of peppermint oil.

[Digijam]

I'm assuming Malt Balls are the same as the UK's Maltesers (honeycomb malt crumb centre with a chocolate coating)?

As I understand it the industrial process involves a mix that's just a blend of sugar, skimmed milk, and malt extract, which is rolled and pressure treated to aerate it, and baked in a microwave.

There's a recipe for a nut sponge from Ferran Adria in The Cook's Book which uses a microwave and a mix foamed up in an ISI whipper (rather than using raising agents). Maybe something similar would work for a milk/sugar mix, although you'd have to cut the cooked mix into squares, rather than spheres...

[Kerry Beal]

I'm assuming Malt Balls are the same as the UK's Maltesers (honeycomb malt crumb centre with a chocolate coating)?

As I understand it the industrial process involves a mix that's just a blend of sugar, skimmed milk, and malt extract, which is rolled and pressure treated to aerate it, and baked in a microwave.

There's a recipe for a nut sponge from Ferran Adria in The Cook's Book which uses a microwave and a mix foamed up in an ISI whipper (rather than using raising agents). Maybe something similar would work for a milk/sugar mix, although you'd have to cut the cooked mix into squares, rather than spheres...

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I've got a copy of The Cook's Book picked up from my discount bookstore. I'll give it a look.

In Canada they are Maltesers too.

[Emily_R]

Ah, ok Gfron -- your pixie stick vs. malt ball powder description got through to me... I can imagine (or taste in my mouth) the textural difference... Lucys suggestion sounds intriguing to me -- I bet getting baking soda involved might help produce the texture desired...

Now I blame you if on my road trip later today I get a spontaneous malt ball craving! (Or pixie sticks for that matter!)

Emily

[gfron1]

I'm not familiar with the phrase 'honeycomb' as its being used (in the US it means overly sweet cereal marketed by a bee), but as I've looked at some sites through google, I think that may be one route to get to what I'm looking for.

[alanamoana]

we made malt balls at work with a meringue base...could you do the same with the flavors you are attempting rob?

just make a meringue with cocoa and mint extract, bake them until light and crunchy and then crush them to get the powder?

[Kerry Beal]

Ok, checked out The Cook's Book. The nut sponge has a nice foamy look, but the texture would be more like cake, so unless it was dried in oven until crispy, I'm not sure that's what you are looking for.

Edited June 26, 2007 by Kerry Beal (log)

[GlorifiedRice]

http://www.nestleusa.com/PubOurBrands/Bran...87-10893D174FC2

Why not just use the stuff above?

[GlorifiedRice]

Not sure if your malt balls are a completely different thing to ours here in Australia ... but I assumed they were something similar to a honeycomb type recipe?  where the bicarb soda causes the texture?

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It does...

I just looked on the ingredients of WHOPPERS, and there is Baking Soda in them.

Here is a cross section of a Maltezer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:MaltesersOpen.jpg

Edited June 26, 2007 by GlorifiedRice (log)

[gfron1]

Okay, I try to keep my deep dark secrets until the official unveiling, but maybe I can facilitate this conversation if I tell you exactly what I'm going for.

I'm going to do an overthetop Indian meal (think chicken tandoori cannoli shape filled with basmati mousse). For dessert, one of the three things I want to do - and the very last that I would serve - is a total rip off of something I had at Alinea.

It will look like a chicklet in shape and size, but basically be a very thin flavored rice paper filled with powder reformed into the chicklet shape. The idea is that the paper will dissolve leaving this explosion of powdered chocolate mint flavor in your mouth - an after dinner mint.

So, malt is definitely not what I'm going for - the texture of the maltball is. It can't be moist. And I'm intrigued by the meringue idea unless it wouldn't be dry enough. Maybe I can spread the meringue thinly so it gets super dry.

[Kerry Beal]

Okay, I try to keep my deep dark secrets until the official unveiling, but maybe I can facilitate this conversation if I tell you exactly what I'm going for. 

I'm going to do an overthetop Indian meal (think chicken tandoori cannoli shape filled with basmati mousse).  For dessert, one of the three things I want to do - and the very last that I would serve - is a total rip off of something I had at Alinea. 

It will look like a chicklet in shape and size, but basically be a very thin flavored rice paper filled with powder reformed into the chicklet shape.  The idea is that the paper will dissolve leaving this explosion of powdered chocolate mint flavor in your mouth - an after dinner mint.

So, malt is definitely not what I'm going for - the texture of the maltball is.  It can't be moist.  And I'm intrigued by the meringue idea unless it wouldn't be dry enough.  Maybe I can spread the meringue thinly so it gets super dry.

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What about one of the molecular gastronomy products that lets you make a powder from a liquid (can't recall if it's a maltodextrin or what). You could start with a minty cocoa and powder it.

[chefAZ]

Hey Im not sure if this is the same thing, but I have always wanted to replicate the texture of a CRUNCHIE candy bar. Its made by Cadbury's.....any thoughts??

[Pam R]

And I'm intrigued by the meringue idea unless it wouldn't be dry enough.  Maybe I can spread the meringue thinly so it gets super dry.

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The meringue might work. Don't worry about it being too thin (though that will help) - just bake it at 200 for a few hours.

Can't you use dry ice to freeze-dry something - maybe a chocolate-mint mousse? (I'm thinking of the Alton episode where he dried strawberries with dry ice.)

[Kerry Beal]

Hey Im not sure if this is the same thing, but I have always wanted to replicate the texture of a CRUNCHIE candy bar. Its made by Cadbury's.....any thoughts??

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In Chocolates and Confections by Greweling if you make his sponge toffee, cut it into bars and dip in chocolate - you'll have your crunchie bar.

[LittleIsland]

I'm not familiar with the phrase 'honeycomb' as its being used (in the US it means overly sweet cereal marketed by a bee), but as I've looked at some sites through google, I think that may be one route to get to what I'm looking for.

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The term "honeycomb" as used by the non-US posters does refer to the kind of centre found in a Crunchie bar (or Violet Crumble - yummeeeee - but the Violet Crumble centre is drier and has fewer large holes in it, I like it much better than Crunchie), so you might try adapting the sponge toffee recipe.

I reckon the meringue, if baked long and low, would be a good bet too. If you dry it out thoroughly in the oven it would not be too wet. Unless you run into humidity in which case I imagine your honeycomb centre would also suffer.

[reenicake]

I'm not sure what kind of fineness you want in your powder, but dry microwaving some pastillage or royal icing. It turns spongy and totally rock-like. Pretty cool to watch too.

[gfron1]

Okay, this weekend is play day! I'm going to try and do three variations: Seafoam, sponge candy, and long baked meringue. I'm also interested in the idea of pouring something on dry ice to see what happens...but I don't know if I can get dry ice in my town. So pictures and a report soon. Thanks for all of the suggestions - this has been a fun one for me!

[gfron1]

Here's my seafoam:

I didn't realize what would happen until it was too late, so I added the soda and it foam up very quickly, then I added the extracts, which knocked it down some, but it re-rose enough for me to find out that this is a tooth gunker-upper. And since the sponge candy looks similar, I'll pass on that today and go straight to a dry meringue.