D'Artagnan Bars- Anna Olson

These are a homemade version of a Three Musketeers Bar. They really do taste just like them except with better chocolate!

I recently went to a cooking class where Anna Olson was the teacher and this is another recipe from her new book Back to Baking. The cook book is very good and she is an excellent teacher.

I found out she comes from a Slovak background just like me!

You will need:

Base

• 1 3/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cups icing sugar- sifted
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder- sifted
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter- melted

Filling

• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate- chopped
• 2 egg whites- room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup white corn syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping

• 6 oz milk chocolate, chopped

*candy thermometer

Step 1: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line an 8inch square pan with parchment paper. Make the paper come up the sides to make easy removal.

Step 2: prepare the crust by stirring the cookie crumbs, sifted icing sugar, cocoa and flour.

Step 3: add the melted butter and stir until combined.

Step 4: smooth with a spatula and bake crust for 10 minutes.

Step 5: in a bowl over gently simmering water melt chocolate. Set aside.

Step 6: in a large bowl whip egg whites and salt until they form soft peaks.

Step 7: in a medium sized saucepan add water, then add sugar and corn syrup (I used white and golden corn syrup because that's what I had in my pantry and it worked out fine) Without stirring let the mixture come to a boil on medium/high heat until it reaches 255 degrees. Brush down sides of pot with a brush dipped in water if necessary. This can take 10 minutes or more.

Step 8: Carefully add the hot syrup to the whipped egg whites while mixing continuously on high for 7 minutes until it cools. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. 

Step 9: quickly pour over the cooled crust and smooth. You can use a lightly greased spatula to spread it. Work fast or it will start to set. Let cool for 1 hour.

Step 10: melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water until liquid. (I had a bit of dark chocolate left from some other project so I used that as well for a very thin layer on top of the milk chocolate) The recipe does not call for this. Pour melted milk chocolate over the top spreading evenly.

Chill a few hours then cut with a warm knife. (run under hot water, then dry to make nice clean slices.

Pretty darn hard to resist!