Impress family, friends and guests with this delicious, decadent dessert. It has a creamy filling on top of a pastry shell and is topped off with a wonderful chocolate ganache.
Pastry Shell:
1 c. water
1/2 c. butter
1/4 t. salt
1 c. all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Filling:
2 c. cold heavy whipping cream
2 T. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 (3.5 oz.) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 c. cold milk
Chocolate Ganache:
1 c. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 c. heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place a mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
Pastry Shell:
Combine water, butter and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium; stir in the flour; cook and stir until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl (not the one in the freezer); beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until fully incorporated. Spread the dough out evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Bake the pastry until golden brown, 25 - 30 minutes. The dough will rise and make a boat shape, but should drop as it cools. Cool completely on wire rack.
Filling:
Remove the chilled mixing bowl from the freezer; pour in 2 c. cold whipping cream; whip until cream thickens, about 1 minute. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Refrigerate the whipped cream while mixing the pudding.
Pour pudding mixes and milk into a mixing bowl; stir until creamy. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread the filling over the cooled crust. Refrigerate.
Chocolate Ganache:
Place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring 1 c. heavy cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate; allow it to soften for 1 minute; whisk mixture until smooth. Allow mixture to cool slightly to thicken, about 10 minutes.
Pour ganache over the cream filling, spreading to cover the entire surface. Return the pan to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.