Whoppers Chocolate Malt Frosted Brownies

I sometimes forget how much I love Whoppers.  They're so unassuming.  No oozy caramel, no nuts, no nougat...just the perfect little malted milk ball.

Whoppers are just so darn fun.  I guess it's the shape.  Plus 18 pieces for 190 calories?  

Hellooooooo, bikini. 

*just writing that is making me laugh*

Not that we're counting calories here...we're making brownies.  Oh yes!

We're starting with a box mix (sue me), adding a little malt flavor, then topping the whole thing off with a milk chocolate-malt ganache frosting.  And, of course, we're adding Whoppers in wherever we can.

Feel free to use a homemade brownie recipe here, but Ghiradelli makes a delicious, fudgy mix.  Let's vow right now to stop feeling guilty...and making each other feel guilty...for using a mix.  K? K.  I have plenty of items on my list for confession and using a boxed brownie mix isn't one of them.

Look at that FROSTING!!!  And that fudgy brownie underneath?!?  You guys...these brownies are EPIC!!!  Epic!  (Do people say "epic?"  People over 40? If not, please ignore and replace with "freakingdelicious.")

Whoppers Chocolate Malt Frosted Brownies

brownies:
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
18 oz Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix
1/4 cup original malted milk powder
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Whoppers

frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
3 TBSP original malted milk powder
11.5-12 oz milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Whoppers

Preheat oven to 325 and grease an 8x8 baking pan.

Stir together the egg, water, and oil.  Add in the brownie mix and malted milk powder and stir until combined.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and scatter the chopped Whoppers on top.  Lightly press into the batter.  Bake for 39-45 minutes, or until done.

Cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

Meanwhile, make the frosting.  In a saucepan, heat the cream until simmering.  Remove from heat and whisk in the malted milk powder.

Place the chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over the top.  Let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then stir gently until smooth.

Place this bowl in an ice water bath and stir occasionally while the frosting thickens and cools.  You can put this in the fridge without the water bath, stirring occasionally, it will just take longer.  Once the frosting is totally cooled and thickened, place in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 1-2 minutes.  The frosting will become lighter in color.

Spread about 2/3 of the frosting onto the cooled brownies. (Use the rest to spread on graham crackers OR...add some to the leftover fudge ripple from yesterday, add ice cream and make a chocolate malt!  Oh my gosh!) Scatter with the chopped Whoppers.

Cut and serve immediately (a bench scraper makes an easy way to cut...and I love this mini spatula from Pampered Chef), or store in the fridge.

You KNOW you want to swoop your finger through that frosting!!!

Bringing you Candy Bar Week with Shelly & Kristan has been a little like sitting at the cool girls' lunch table.  

Except I don't know what that was like, I sat with the choir/drama nerds and other general misfits.

Today, cool girl Kristan is bringing you Peppermint Patty Bombes!

(Earlier this week, she baked up Heath Bar Salted Caramel Brownie Trifles and Mounds Layer Cake.)

Cool girl Shelly is bringing 3 Musketeer Fudge Brownies today!

(And earlier this week, she created Take 5 Bars and Whatchamacallit Popcorn.)

Oh yeah, and I made Snickers Scones and Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzipan Ice Cream. 

I am officially fat and happy...how about you?!?

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