Chewy marshmallow nougat w/ cheese crackers and pistachio

Step 1

PREPARATION: In a food-processor, grind 50 grams of cheese crackers until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Pulse the pistachio in the food-processor until the largest piece is about 1/3 or 1/4 of a whole pistachio, and set aside in another bowl (You can also grind the cheese crackers and/or crush the pistachio inside a zip-lock bag with a rolling pin). Use a scissor to cut the prunes into pea-size pieces, then toss them together with the pistachios until evenly mixed. Place 80 grams of cheese crackers in another large bowl and crunch them up into about 1" pieces. Set aside.

Step 2

TO MAKE THE BARS: In a large non-stick skillet or non-stick pot, cook unsalted butter and whole milk over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until all the moisture has evaporated and the butter is bubbling. Turn the heat down to low, and continue to stir and cook until the butter is browned, about 5 minute from start to finish.

Step 3

Add the marshmallows and keep stirring until all the marshmallows have melted, then add the finely ground cheese cracker. Keep mixing and cooking over low heat until the mixture is evenly incorporated and kind of "deflated" slightly compared to when the marshmallows had just melted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Now scatter the pistachio and prune mixture evenly over the top, as well as the broken up cheese crackers. Use two spatulas to fold and mix everything together evenly, then transfer onto a large piece of parchment paper.

Step 4

Gather the mixture into a ball, then use the flat sides of pastry scrapers to press it down tightly to a 3/4" (2 cm) thick disk. Press and squeeze on all four sides of the disk with the pastry scrapers to create a straight edged, compact rectangular block. Now wrap it up in the parchment and flash-freeze in the freezer for 30 minute until cooled down to room-temperature. Cut into 12 equal-sized bars and keep individually wrapped in parchment. Keep at room-temperature for up to 2 weeks.