Name: Malted Milk Chocolate Cheesecake
Yield: Makes one 9 1/2-inch round cake, 12 to 14 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened; One 10-ounce package butter biscuits, wafers, or shortbread cookies; 1/3 cup walnuts; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 4 ounces (8 tablespoons, 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and coole; 14 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; 1/2 cup malted milk powder; 2 pounds cream cheese, softened; 1 cup granulated sugar; 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup sour cream; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 quart boiling water; Essential Gear: 9 1/2-inch round springform pan, heavy-duty aluminum foil, food processor or rolling pin, double boiler, small saucepan, whisk, electric stand mixer with flat beater attachment, or large mixing bowl and handheld mixer, two rubber spatulas, fine-mesh strainer, 12-inch round cake pan or large roasting pan, cooling rack

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Carole Bloom's book The Essential Baker.

One of my favorite treats when I was growing up was malted milk balls. I couldn't seem to get enough of them. I vividly remember biting through the crunchy exterior of milk chocolate to find the malt ball inside. Yum! I still love the flavor of malt and believe it goes well with milk chocolate. This cheesecake is inspired by those malted milk balls I loved as a child. It's dense and creamy, with a crunchy cookie crust and a deep malt flavor. As with other cheesecakes, this one has to be made in advance of serving because it needs hours to cool and chill. But it also freezes beautifully, so you can make it well in advance of when you plan to serve it.

Recipe notes

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