Ever since I finally conducted a comprehensive review of my pantry, the list of ingredients pending expiry have been on my mind. Among the assortment are various bags of nuts from Costco and graham crackers. While I've been tackling dry roasted, salted hazelnuts through granola and pecans through pecan pie, graham crackers have been used towards no-bake desserts. The most common application is a graham cracker crust.
Chocolate Pudding Bars with Matcha Glaze
Chocolate Pudding Bars with Matcha Glaze
A) Graham Cracker Base
Ingredients:
For an 8-9 in cake or 8 in x 8 in square pan, I typically turn to my small but mighty 3-cup food processor - which has now doubled (!!!) in price due to inflation! It takes about two rounds to blitz 250 g worth of biscuits. This time, I opted for a larger food processor, as I was practically doubling the amount for a 9 in x 13 in pan.
Melted butter was then drizzled into the food processor and mixed until combined. The crumbs were transferred to a parchment-lined pan, pressed towards the edges, and transferred to the refrigerator to harden as I prepared the Chocolate Pudding base.
Ingredients:
- 400 g Honey Maid graham crackers
- 190 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For an 8-9 in cake or 8 in x 8 in square pan, I typically turn to my small but mighty 3-cup food processor - which has now doubled (!!!) in price due to inflation! It takes about two rounds to blitz 250 g worth of biscuits. This time, I opted for a larger food processor, as I was practically doubling the amount for a 9 in x 13 in pan.
Melted butter was then drizzled into the food processor and mixed until combined. The crumbs were transferred to a parchment-lined pan, pressed towards the edges, and transferred to the refrigerator to harden as I prepared the Chocolate Pudding base.
B) Chocolate Pudding
i) Pudding Base
Ingredients:
Directions
ii) Chocolate Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
Directions
i) Pudding Base
Ingredients:
- 45 g (1/4 cup) custard powder
- 15 g cocoa powder
- 45 g granulated sugar
- 600 g milk
- vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Directions
- In a medium saucepot, combine custard powder, cocoa powder, and sugar. Gradually whisk in the milk to prevent lumps.
- Add in vanilla and salt.
- Over medium heat, whisk the mixture continuously. Reduce to medium-low heat as the mixture begins to thicken. Keep whisking to prevent formation of lumps.
- Once the mixture thickens to a paste and a spatula can be dragged along the bottom of the saucepot, remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover tightly with cling film and allow to cool in the refrigerator. It should reach room temperature within 3-4 hours, but feel free to prepare the pudding base the night before and chill overnight.
ii) Chocolate Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
- 205 g heavy cream
- 105 g granulated sugar
- 15 g cocoa powder
Directions
- Add heavy cream, sugar, and cocoa powder to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until reaching soft peaks, then switch to low speed to reach stiff peaks.
- Retrieve chocolate pudding base from the fridge and loosen with a spatula. It may reveal itself rather lumpy.
- Fold about 1/3 of the pudding base into the chocolate whipped cream, smoothing out any lumps. Add the remaining 2/3 to the whipped cream and beat together using a hand mixer
- Retrieve chilled graham cracker crust from the fridge and spread the chocolate pudding evenly.
- Chill for 5-6 hours.
C) Matcha Glaze
Ingredients:
Directions
Ingredients:
- 117 g white chocolate couverture
- 117 g heavy cream
- 7 g matcha
- 33 g corn syrup
- 6 g gelatin
- 30 g water
Directions
- Add white chocolate couverture and heavy cream to a heatproof bowl. Microwave in bursts until the chocolate is 60-70% dissolved. Allow to site for a few minutes, then mix until uniform.
- Sprinkle gelatin into a small bowl of water. Set aside and allow to hydrate.
- Mix matcha powder with corn syrup. Set aside.
- Combine a small amount of the ganache base with the matcha powder-corn syrup mixture to improve fluidity. Fold the mixture into the ganache base.
- Heat the gelatin in the microwave for about 10 secs. Allow to cool slightly, then add into the ganache base. Mix well.
- Retrieve the pudding bar from the fridge. Pour the glaze over a spatula to distribute the glaze evenly and prevent forming holes in the chocolate pudding. Tilt the pan to distribute the glaze evenly.
- Chill for at least 5-6 hours, but ideally overnight.
In theory, matcha-topped pudding bars seemed like a splendid idea. However, the custard recipe on the exterior of the Bird's Custard Powder can was not only bland and tacky, but lacking in sweetness as well. Sweetened chocolate whipped cream enabled a soft, mousse-like consistency and drastically improved complexity.
The glaze also adopted the yielding consistency and vivid, grassy hue that I had sought out. Unfortunately, due to my matcha being expired, grassy depth had been compromised in the output.
The glaze also adopted the yielding consistency and vivid, grassy hue that I had sought out. Unfortunately, due to my matcha being expired, grassy depth had been compromised in the output.
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I was also met with another issue when the glaze ended up being heavier than the delicate pudding layer. The bars simply could not portioned without chocolate pudding oozing out from underneath. The graham cracker base cracking at odd segments worsened the issue. And so, like Sunday, I opted to wrap the specimen and transfer to the freezer for ease of cutting.
My patience was rewarded the next morning: I could achieve crisp lines and neat squares. The only caveat: the bars needed to be stored in the freezer and thawed only before eating.
With insufficient thawing time, the graham cracker base would persist impossibly rigid. On the other hand, the top two layers were still tasty and even slightly reminiscent of an ice cream bar.
With insufficient thawing time, the graham cracker base would persist impossibly rigid. On the other hand, the top two layers were still tasty and even slightly reminiscent of an ice cream bar.
To the office the bars went a couple days later. All but four were consumed by the end of the day. I had left the boxes in the kitchen to thaw since 8:30 AM; by 2 PM, the containers were no longer cold to the touch and condensation was prominent. Given this, it is advised that thawing time be limited to no more than 4 hours at room temp (but perhaps longer in the fridge).
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