Pudding Bars

Pudding Bars

 Double batch of short bread crust dough (Recipe follows)

 1/2 batch of dark chocolate pudding (Recipe follows)

 1 batch of meringue pie topping (Recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 425. 

Give a 9×13 baking dish a quick spritz with baking spray and spread the shortbread dough out. Place the dish in the freezer for 15 minutes.  

Cook the crust for 13-15 minutes or until golden. Let cool. 

Spread the cooled pudding out on top of the crust, and freeze for 15 more minutes.  

Then spread the meringue topping out on the pudding. 

Bake at 325 for 15 minutes, or until meringue is golden on top. 

Be careful if you’re using glass. Pyrex should transfer from the freezer to the oven without cracking, but some cheaper brands or other glassware might crack with the temperature change.

 Shortbread Crust 

 1 cup all-purpose flour

 1/4 – 1/3 cup powdered sugar

 1/8 tsp salt

 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced

 1 tsp vanilla

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in your food processor and pulse to mix. Then add the butter chunks a bit at a time and pulse until it starts to come together. Add the vanilla and pulse until you have a dough. 

Spread in a pie plate and prick the bottom with a fork. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Cook in preheated 425 degree oven for 13-15 minutes or until golden. 

A double recipe of this will work for a 9×13 pan of cookie bars.  

Be careful if you’re using glass. Pyrex should transfer from the freezer to the oven without cracking, but some cheaper brands or other glassware might crack with the temperature change.

 Dark Chocolate Pudding  

3 large egg yolks, beaten lightly

 3 cups non-fat milk

 2/3 cup granulated white sugar

 1/4 cup cornstarch

 3 Tbsp. unsweetened dark cocoa (such as Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)

 1/8 tsp. salt

 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

 2 oz. dark chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli 60% cacao dark chocolate chips)- I used more like 4-5 ounces.

Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a bowl together. Save the whites separately if you want to make some yummy meringue. 

In a pot, heat the milk on medium-high until it is 180 degrees. I have a thermometer, but the original recipe says that when bubbles start to form around the edges it should be about right. Remove from heat. Add sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. Boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.

Take about a cup of the hot mixture and whisk it into the eggs. This will temper the eggs and keep them from having a temper tantrum (aka- cooking) 

Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the rest of the pudding and bring back to a boil on medium heat. 

When it is thick like pudding, remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips and the vanilla. 

The original recipe suggests serving immediately, or placing in a glass bowl and covering with plastic wrap actually touching the pudding. This should keep that nasty school-cafeteria skin from forming. I’ve never had pudding last long enough to cover, I eat it. But if you do decide to wait, make sure you refrigerate it!

Meringue Pie Topping 

3 egg whites

 6 tablespoons sugar

 1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat the egg whites until they are frothy. Add the sugar a little at a time and keep beating until it forms stiff peaks. Then add the vanilla. 

Spread on top of the pie and bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until it is browning on top. 

I actually turned off my oven just as the first little peak turned golden- I was hoping that it would make the meringue more crunchy, but, alas, it did not.

Recipe Source: http://redbeansandwhippedcream.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/pudding-bars/