Raspberry Milk Candy Bars with Pistachio Shortbread
Inspired by Ruoyun's exquisite Chinese candy-inspired creation that earned Paul Hollywood's highest praise for spot-on perfect tempering and Prue Leith's texturally perfect accolade. These sophisticated candy bars feature four distinct layers: nutty pistachio shortbread base, tart raspberry jelly, chewy milk candy center inspired by Chinese White Rabbit candy, and thin glossy dark chocolate shell. Ruoyun drew from childhood favorites, transforming condensed milk into an elevated confection. Paul Hollywood praised the sharpness from freeze-dried raspberries balancing rich milk candy, noting the tempering as just perfect and wonderful, specifically highlighting the thinness of chocolate coating. Prue Leith declared the appearance exquisite and texture perfect across all layers. The milk candy layer captures nostalgic Chinese White Rabbit candy flavor - intensely milky, creamy, and chewy - cooked to soft ball stage for proper texture. This cultural fusion combines Middle Eastern pistachi…
- Time: 150 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- MAKE THE PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD BASE
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overha
- In a food processor, pulse pistachios until finely ground
- Add flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine
- Add cold butter cubes and vanilla. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs
- Add water only if needed to bring dough together
- Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan
- Prick all over with a fork
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden around edges. The biscuit layer shou
- Let cool completely in pan
- MAKE THE RASPBERRY JELLY LAYER
- In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice
- Cook over medium heat until berries break down, about 8-10 minutes
- Strain through fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, pressing to extract all liquid
- Return liquid to pan. If using gelatin, bloom in 3 tablespoons cold water then s
- Pour raspberry jelly over cooled shortbread base, spreading evenly. The sharpnes
- Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour
- MAKE THE MILK CANDY CENTER
- Drawing inspiration from Chinese White Rabbit candy, the milk candy layer uses v
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine condensed milk, butter, corn syrup, and su
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spo
- Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 240°F on a
- Stir constantly to prevent burning. The mixture will turn golden and thicken con
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt
- Quickly pour over raspberry jelly layer, spreading evenly with offset spatula
- Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until completely f
- CUT INTO BARS
- Once firm, use the parchment overhang to lift the entire slab out of the pan
- Using a sharp knife , cut into rectangles about 1x3 inches
- Place cut bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes
- TEMPER THE DARK CHOCOLATE
- Using the seeding method: Melt 12 oz chocolate in a heatproof bowl to 115°F. Rem
- Test temper by dipping a knife in chocolate - it should set within 3 minutes wit
- The thinness of the chocolate coating is crucial for proper texture balance
- COAT BARS IN CHOCOLATE
- Remove bars from freezer. Working quickly, dip each bar completely in tempered c
- Tap fork gently on edge of bowl to remove excess chocolate, creating a thin coat
- Slide onto parchment-lined baking sheet
- Before chocolate sets, sprinkle top with crushed freeze-dried raspberries
- Let chocolate set at room temperature, about 20-30 minutes