Yet another recipe with a crust and creamy filling! Who set up the scheduling for these recipes anyway! ;) (sorry!) Posting date for these is June 17th!
Aunt Sabra King’s pudding bars
recipe source: Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, p. 124
FOR THE GRAHAM CRUST
2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING FILLING
4 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped
3 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons whisky
Simple Whipped Cream for serving (optional, page 159)
Dark cocoa powder (like Vlarhona) for serving (optional)
MAKE THE GRAHAM CRUST
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt. Pour the butter over the crumb mixture and stir until well combined. The mixture will feel wet. Turn the crumb mixture out into a 9-by-13-inch pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides. Use the back of a large spoon to get an even layer. Place the crust in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Bake the crust for approximately 10 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Set it on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING
Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set it aside.
In a large, heatproof bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Add the egg yolks and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and whisk again.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, cream, and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bring the mixture just to a boil. Add a third of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Keep whisking the egg mixture and another third of the hot milk mixture. Transfer the egg mixture into the saucepan with the milk and mixture and, whisking constantly, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the pudding is very thick.
Remove the pan from the heat and strain the mixture though a fine-mesh sieve directly over the chocolate. Stir until it is smooth. Add the whiskey and stir again.
ASSEMBLE THE PUDDING BARS
Let the pudding mixture cool for about 20 minutes. Whisk it one more time until it is smooth and pour it over the cooled graham crust. Spread the pudding into an even layer. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream and a sprinkiling of cocoa, if desired.
The bars can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Excerpted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2010 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
I’m totally on board with these. Dang, they sound good.