Instructions

MAKE THE PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD BASE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on sides.
In a food processor, pulse pistachios until finely ground (not paste).
Add flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine.
Add cold butter cubes and vanilla. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add water only if needed to bring dough together.
Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
Prick all over with a fork.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden around edges. The biscuit layer should be crisp but tender.
Let cool completely in pan.

MAKE THE RASPBERRY JELLY LAYER:
In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
Cook over medium heat until berries break down, about 8-10 minutes.
Strain through fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, pressing to extract all liquid.
Return liquid to pan. If using gelatin, bloom in 3 tablespoons cold water then stir into warm raspberry mixture. If using agar, whisk agar powder directly into raspberry liquid and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
Pour raspberry jelly over cooled shortbread base, spreading evenly. The sharpness from freeze-dried raspberries and the raspberry layer provides crucial tartness.
Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

MAKE THE MILK CANDY CENTER:
Drawing inspiration from Chinese White Rabbit candy, the milk candy layer uses very condensed milk as its base.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine condensed milk, butter, corn syrup, and sugar.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 240°F (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 15-20 minutes.
Stir constantly to prevent burning. The mixture will turn golden and thicken considerably.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt.
Quickly pour over raspberry jelly layer, spreading evenly with offset spatula.
Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until completely firm, at least 2 hours.

CUT INTO BARS:
Once firm, use the parchment overhang to lift the entire slab out of the pan.
Using a sharp knife (dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts), cut into rectangles about 1x3 inches.
Place cut bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes (this makes dipping in chocolate easier).

TEMPER THE DARK CHOCOLATE:
Using the seeding method: Melt 12 oz chocolate in a heatproof bowl to 115°F. Remove from heat and add remaining 4 oz chocolate, stirring until melted and temperature drops to 88-90°F for dark chocolate.
Test temper by dipping a knife in chocolate - it should set within 3 minutes with a glossy finish and no streaks. The tempering should be spot on, just perfect.
The thinness of the chocolate coating is crucial for proper texture balance.

COAT BARS IN CHOCOLATE:
Remove bars from freezer. Working quickly, dip each bar completely in tempered chocolate using a dipping fork or regular fork.
Tap fork gently on edge of bowl to remove excess chocolate, creating a thin coating. The whole shell itself is very dark chocolate.
Slide onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
Before chocolate sets, sprinkle top with crushed freeze-dried raspberries.
Let chocolate set at room temperature, about 20-30 minutes.

FINAL TOUCH:
Once chocolate is completely set, bars are ready to serve.
For cleanest presentation, trim edges with a sharp knife if needed.