Name: Coffee Malteds
Yield: Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup unflavored malted milk powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon ground coffee, preferably from espresso beans (or use instant or powdered coffee or espresso); 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 large egg, at room temperature; 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

A stack of coffee malteds against a red background.

Photo by Davide Luciano

These cookies bring back the memory of those malteds. Instead of syrup, I use freshly ground espresso beans (although instant espresso or coffee works) and unflavored malt powder — you can find it in supermarkets — which gives the cookies a warm, mildly vanilla taste. These are chewy and their look is humble. Don’t be tempted to bake them until set; they set outside the oven. Overbake these cookies, and they’ll still taste good, but you’ll lose their moist chewiness.

These are so good with a swipe of dulce de leche.