Fudge (Wolfgang Puck)

• servings: 16

Ingredients

1 pound good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

1-3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon (optional)

1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

To prepare baking pan: Line 9-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.

To melt chocolate: Put chocolate in microwave-safe mixing bowl. Put bowl in microwave oven. Set power at 50 percent. Microwave chocolate for 1 minute. Using heatproof pad, remove bowl. Using rubber spatula, stir chocolate. If not melted completely, repeat process until chocolate is smoothly melted. Scrape melted chocolate into bowl of food processor fitted with stainless-steel blade.

To make egg yolk mixture: Fit bowl of stand mixer with wire whisk attachment. (Or attach beaters to hand-held electric mixer.) Put egg yolks in mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute or until light and pale yellow. Set aside. In small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Beating egg yolks on high speed, pour hot syrup into yolks. Continue whisking for 30 seconds.

To make fudge mixture: Turn on food processor. Through feed tube, add egg yolk mixture to melted chocolate. Using rubber spatula, scrap last of yolks out of bowl. Stop processor. Scrape down side of work bowl. Turn on processor. Through feed tube, pour in condensed milk. Add bourbon. Add cream. As soon as mixture is thoroughly blended, stop machine. Scrape down side of bowl, pulsing briefly to incorporate any ingredients from side.

To chill fudge: Pour fudge mixture into foil-lined baking pan. Cover top of pan with plastic wrap. (Note: Make sure wrap does not touch fudge.) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until solid.

To serve: Carefully use sides of foil to lift out square of fudge. Using large, sharp knife, make 3 equally spaced cuts across square. Make 3 equally spaced cuts perpendicular to first ones, to form 16 squares. Using small palette knife, spatula or table knife, lift squares from foil, transferring them to serving platter. Serve while still chilled