Malteaser Brownies, The Naughty Ones

I just love the Malteaser adverts, but then . . . I love Malteasers and I am a bit naughty! But in a nice way, or at least I think I am!

I think there's only about 11 calories in a Malteaser . . . the candies, not the brownies. I don't dare hazard a guess as to how many are in one of these brownies, but it's ok to indulge yourself once in a while, as long as it's not every day.

I have one son who swears he is allergic to Malteasers . . . I don't really think he is. He got a tummy bug one time after eating a whole carton full, and swears it was the Malteasers that made him sick. I never bothered to correct him . . . more Malteasers for me. ☺

These are really delicious golden malt flavoured brownies, filled with toasted walnuts and scrummy little bits of melted malteasers, at once milk chocolatey and chewy crunchy. Topped with your favourite chocolate buttercream frosting and more malteasers and some chocolate sprinkles, they go down a real treat with the teens and younguns.

Ok . . . confess . . . us olduns love em too!

*Malteaser Brownies*

makes 16 naughty bars

Only one word for these tasty babies. Scrummy!

• 75g chopped walnuts (3/4 cup), toasted
• 175g plain flour (1 12 cups)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 generous TBS of malted milk powder
• pinch of salt
• 175g of softened butter (3/4 cup)
• 225g of soft light brown sugar (1 cup)
• 3 large free range eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 75g malteasers (2 1/2 ounces milk chocolate coated malted milk balls)
• halved
• To finish:
• Your favourite chocolate buttercream icing
• milk and white chocolate malteasers
• assorted chocolate sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F, gas mark 3. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin. Line with parchment paper. Butter the paper. Set aside.

Put the butter and sugar into a bowl. Cream together until light and fluffy. Beat in the beaten eggs a little at a time, making sure each addition is well mixed in. Stir in the vanilla.

Whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, malted milk powder and salt. Fold into the creamed mixture until well incorporated. Stir in the halved malted milk balls and walnuts. Spoon into the prepared baking tin, smoothing over the top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely in the pan.

Once completely cold, spread the top with the chocolate buttercream. Cut into 16 squares and decorate as you wish with malteasers and chocolate sprinkles.