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After Halloween, I did something really stupid.  I went to the store and perused the racks with the clearance Halloween candy, and ended up leaving with enough candy to last me several months.  Normally, this isn’t really a problem.  I have a candy jar at my desk at work that was always in constant need of refills.  But, then they moved me to an isolated cubicle on a mostly empty floor, and the candy jar remained untouched.

What’s a woman to do with a bunch of leftover Halloween candy?  Eating it would be a simple answer, but so pedestrian.  Besides, I easily had at least 20 bags of candy lying around.  So, I decided to start getting creative.  This malted milk ball cheesecake was inspired by the Whoppers candies that I sifted out of a giant variety bag of candy.  The cheesecake itself doesn’t contain any Whoppers, but it’s a light chocolate cheesecake flavored with malt.First, we start with the crust.

I took an 8oz bag of mini Oreos and crushed them in the food processor.  I mixed these crumbs with butter and pressed them onto the bottom of a greased 10″ springform pan, then I baked it for 10 minutes.

Place your malted milk powder in a bowl and bring some cream to a boil.  As soon as it starts to boil, pour it into the malted milk powder, then stir to combine.  Let it sit for a while while you prepare the cheesecake batter, and then strain it to remove the lumps.

Also, melt your chocolate.  You can use a double-boiler, if you want.  I get decent results in a microwave, though.

Start the cheesecake batter by beating together the cream cheese and sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the sour cream and vanilla extract.  Beat until just combined, and then add the malt mixture, followed by the chocolate.

Pour the cheesecake into the prepared springform pan, then wrap it tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil.  Place the foil-lined pan into a large pan and fill with hot water until it reached about halfway up the sides of the pan.  Bake the cheesecake until it is only slightly jiggly, then remove from the oven.  Let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate it for a few hours (or overnight) before you remove it from the pan.

At this point, your cheesecake is technically done.  But, this is a Halloween candy inspired cheesecake, so we need to let everyone know!

I stuck the Whoppers onto the outside of the cheesecake using chocolate ganache.  I put the cake in the freezer for an hour or two before decorating.  This helped the ganache set quickly, so I didn’t have to wait to start on the next layer.  I staggered the Whoppers of each layer for maximum coverage.

After that, some nice swirls of sweetened whipped cream complete the look.

There you have it!  A malted chocolate cheesecake fit for any Whoppers enthusiast.  Unfortunately, the candies on the outside make cutting the cheesecake a challenge, and don’t stay on, but they make a show-stopping presentation.  Feel free to leave them off, if you want.

Malted Chocolate Cheesecake

(adapted from Malted Milk Chocolate Cheesecake from Epicurious)

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 8oz package mini chocolate sandwich cookies
• 3 tbsp butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

• 12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped (or, use milk chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup malted milk powder
• 2 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Garnish (optional):

• 2-3 cups of malted milk balls
• 1 cup sweetened whipped cream (or Cool-Whip)

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350°.  Grease a 10″ springform pan.

Using a food processor, grind the sandwich cookies until they are fine crumbs.  Pour into a medium bowl and add the melted butter, mixing well to moisten the crumbs.  Press the crumbs onto the bottom of the springform pan and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.  Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

Place the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, add the malted milk powder, and whisk to distribute evenly. Let the mixture steep for 10 minutes, then strain to remove lumps.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate on low power for 30-second bursts. Stir with a rubber spatula after each burst.  Or, melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition.  Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, then mix well.  Added the strained malt mixture and mix well, then add the melted chocolate and continue to mix until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, then wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil before placing into a roasting pan.  Set the pan in the oven rack and fill with hot water until it reaches about halfway up the springform pan.

Bake at 300° for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the center is only slightly jiggly.  Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours before removing from the pan.

Garnish with malted milk balls and sweetened whipped cream, if desired.