The girls in our family were looking through old cookbooks this week. Almost everything in certain books were combinations of processed foods with corny names… naughty names even. If there is one dessert that every girl should know how to make, it’s Better Than Sex Dessert. Good Christian women call it “Better Than Robert Redford Dessert.”
Because I’m big on making things from scratch, this is homemade from top to bottom or I should say from bottom to top – even the pudding.
Better Than Sex Dessert
Chocolate Pudding
This pudding is best if made a day before enjoying.
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 9 egg yolks, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together powdered sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, and vanilla.
Stir constantly with a flat-bottom utensil. Cook over medium heat until it sputters then remove from heat.
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.
Whisk a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the eggs. Continue whisking it in a little bit at a time to temper the eggs. This prevents them from curdling. Set the saucepan aside. You will be using it again soon.
Whisk chocolate and butter into the pudding. It won’t be pretty at first, but the outcome will be delicious. I promise.
Pour the pudding back into the saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook and stir often until it sputters again.
Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain pudding into a clean medium-sized bowl. Let the pudding cool to room temperature. Then place plastic wrap right on top of the pudding and chill about six hours before serving.
Walnut Crust
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (or 3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Place all crust ingredients into a food processor and process on low speed until crumbly.
Coat 9X13 baking pan with baking spray and then press crust into the pan.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour heavy whipping cream into a mixer.
If you’ve never made (as I like to call it) whoop cream, you will find it in a milk-type of a carton in the dairy section. “Heavy whipping cream” is the very best. And the most sinful. And the most delightful.
Mix on medium to medium-high speed for about 2 minutes watching continuously.
You are looking out for what is called “soft peaks”.
When you reach soft peaks, add the powdered sugar. Taste to make sure it is the sweetness you enjoy from whoop cream.
Mix just about 30 seconds longer to reach stiff peaks.
Use one cup of this whipped cream for the Cream Cheese Filling recipe below and save the rest for decorating the top of your dessert.
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 cup prepared whipped cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Whip together until creamy and shiny.
Spread onto cooled crust.
Remove chilled pudding from the fridge & spread over cream cheese filling.
Use remaining whipped cream to decorate the top of the dessert. This is done with a large decorating bag and a large star decorating tip. Doing this makes me far happier than it probably should.
But one must admit. It is pretty spectacular, no?
Serve with French press coffee for added pleasure. I won’t answer the timeless question of whether this lives up to its name or not but I am sure of one thing. A little foolin’ around will help burn the off calories afterward.
Yummy!! YOU IS BAD!!