Chocolate Walnut Bars

by Cindi Sutter, Founder of The Spirited Table® - Recipe from Sara S. Monick - a cooking instructor since 1977; Chef and culinary travel guide extraordinaire. She studied with Madeleine Kamman, Jacques Pepin, Nicholas Malgieri & Giuliano Bugialli.

I began taking Sara's cooking classes in 1987 and her recipes continue to be timeless treasures. 

Ingredients 

Crust:
1/2 cup walnut pieces lightly toasted and cooled
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1//3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces

Topping:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt 2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Crust:

1. In food processor grind walnuts with the flour and sugar. Add butter and blend the mixture, pulsing, until it resembles coarse meal.
2. Pat mixture onto bottom of buttered 8 inch square metal baking pan and bake crust in the middle of a preheated 350° oven for 25 minutes.

Topping: 

1. In small bowl whisk together the cocoa, sugar and a pinch of salt.
2. In a small sauce pan bring 1/3 cup water to a boil with the butter, stirring until the butter is melted. Gradually add cocoa mixture whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes and add vanilla. Whisk in the eggs until the mixture is smooth and pour over the crust. 
3. Bake in preheated 350° oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes until the topping is set. Cool in the pan on a rack. Cut into fingers and dust with powdered sugar. 

The bars will keep in an airtight container, chilled for 5 days. Makes 24 bars.