Secret Recipe Club: Chocolate Pudding Bars

It's time for the next group to reveal what they made for the Secret Recipe Club!  If you haven't heard about it before now... well, everyone who participates gets assigned another blog to go searching for a recipe to make and write a post about on reveal day.  You can't tell that blogger that you have their blog, so on reveal day it's always fun to see who got your blog!

This month, I got Let's Try These which is written by Vivian.  She has a varied selection of recipes on her blog which made it a little difficult to choose which one I wanted to make!  I really wanted to prepare the homemade soft preztels, but time was not on my side on any given day.  She has a vast array of desserts and sweets, and well... when I saw the Chocolate Pudding Bars, I couldn't resist!  Anyone who has been reading my blog for very long should know that I have a major weakness for chocolate!

Now after seeing that photo... tell me that you could resist this recipe!

These were pretty simple... which is to be expected since the recipe is from Sandra Lee.  I'm not a huge fan of hers, simply can't watch her show... but, I have no problem using convenience ingredients from time-to-time.  I've got a crazy busy life and sometimes need to rely on something that just needs a bit of dressing up.

These bars start with a white cake mix which is improved significantly by the addition of a layer of choolate pudding, and then a layer of chocolate ganache.  Yep, chocoholics can rejoice with this dessert - simple and decadent! 

My Oldest has declared these one of the best desserts I've made... and even wondered if a restaurant might be willing to serve them.  He's so cute, even at 9 he is always my biggest fan (next to his younger brother, of course!) when it comes to things I bake in the kitchen.

Chocolate Pudding Bars
Adapted from:  Sandra Lee Bake Sale Favorites via Let's Try These

Ingredients

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 box white cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups milk
• 5.9 ounce package of choclate pudding mix

 Directions

1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl; set aside.  In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it's almost boiling.  Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and set aside for about 3 minutes.  Then, whisk until smooth.  Allow to cool while preparing the cake and pudding.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and melted butter and use a hand mixer to thoroughly combine.  The mixture will be thick.  Spread in prepared baking pan. 
4. Bake the cake mixture for about 15 minutes - a toothpick will come out with a few sticky crumbs on it.  Set aside to cool on a wire rack.
5. In another large bowl, combine milk and pudding mix.  Whisk together until slightly thickened.  Spread the mixture over the cooled cake. 
6. Top the pudding layer with the thickened heavy cream and chocolate mixture. Spread so that it is evenly distributed.
7. Chill for about 2 hours or until the top layer is set.  Cut into bars and serve chilled.

Yield: 16 servings

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.