No-bake Chocolate Yummy

For the crust: combine cookie crumbs and melted butter in a 9″-square baking dish; press uniformly in bottom of dish, cover with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the layers.

For the pudding: Stir the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl. Place the chopped chocolates, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside. Heat the half-and-half in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling. When it’s hot, pour the hot half-and-half into the bowl with the egg yolks and sugar, a tablespoon at a time, stirring quickly and continuously (this is to temper the egg yolks so they won’t scramble when added to the hot half-and-half). Continue adding half-and-half until about half of it is added and stirred into the egg yolks. Return the pot to the burner and slowly stir the egg yolk mixture into the pot of half-and-half. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Pour the hot half-and-half mixture into the bowl with the chocolate and other ingredients, stirring to melt the chocolate and butter. Spread into a shallow dish and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside at room temperature to cool.

For the cream cheese mixture: With an electric mixer, beat the neufchatel and confectioner’s sugar together until smooth. Set aside.

For the whipped cream: With an electric mixer or by hand, beat the heavy cream to soft peaks, then add the confectioner’s sugar and beat to stiff peaks (be careful not to overbeat).

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chilled crust. Top that with the pudding, then top it all with the whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

(Portions of recipe adapted from Real Cajun.)