When I moved offices, I forgot about the malt balls for a while, but eventually the cravings returned. I wasn't seeing malt balls in shops, but knowing that you can buy just about anything online, I spent some time searching the Internet, looking for recommendations from fellow malt ball addicts. Much to my surprise, there are actually a lot of options, including both milk- and dark-chocolate versions. To find my favorite, I gathered as many of the more widely available brands I could find and set up an informal taste test in the office. For our top pick, as well as tasting notes on three more of our favorite brands, read on.
Top Pick:
Bissinger's Milk Chocolate Covered Gourmet Malted Milk Balls
These medium-sized, glossy milk-chocolate-covered malt balls were the overwhelming favorite. Tasters liked their crunchy, nicely malty center and their thick milk-chocolate coating. As one taster pointed out, these have a "nice balance of chocolate and malt flavors." Plus, unlike some of the others, Bissinger's malt balls aren't too sweet. They also makes a dark chocolate version. Several tasters commented on the "strong," "good-quality" dark chocolate, but a few wanted these to be more malty. ($19 for 1 pound)
Three More Favorites:
Unlike most of the others, Dylan's Malt Balls have a lighter, airier malt center that tasters described as "chewy" and "soft." These won points for their intense malty, milky flavor and their thick chocolate coating. A few tasters wanted the malt center to be thicker, and some were disappointed with the lack of crunch. ($15 for 1 pound)
Jacques Torres Milk- and Dark-Chocolate-Covered Malt Balls
Both versions from Jacques Torres were popular, but several tasters preferred the milk-chocolate version because the "dark chocolate overpowered the malt flavor." Torres's malt balls have a thinner chocolate layer than most of the others, but both the milk and dark versions scored points because the chocolate is of such high quality. ($20 for 1 pound of mixed dark and milk chocolate)
Georgia Nut Company Dark-Chocolate Malted Milk Balls
A few tasters found Georgia Nut Company's Dark-Chocolate Malted Milk Balls "too sweet," but serious malt addicts loved the "very strong malt taste." We also sampled Georgia Nut Company's Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Balls but they didn't score quite as well, and one taster said they were "on the bland side." Bonus: Georgia Nut Company's malt balls were the best value compared with our other top picks. ($5.60 per pound for dark chocolate; $4.10 per pound for milk chocolate)
Are you a fan of chocolate-covered malted-milk balls? What's your favorite brand?
by Lauren Salkeld
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