Sweet and Salty Fudge Bars

We gave my cousin in college a cookie-of-the-month gift for Christmas last year, and this was what we chose for the last (and best) installment. I love the crumbly crust with the contrast of the salty, nutty, cool ganache topping. Because we were behind in our deliveries of this gift, he was finished with his college term and we gave this last installment in person. Lucky for us, he was kind enough to share a few from the tin. It's a delicious bar cookie for anybody who craves that salty, sweet, chocolatey combination.  

Sweet and Salty Fudge Bars 
from Martha Stewart Living, June 2011
 
27 store-bought chocolate wafer cookies
1 T + 1 1/2 t sugar
table salt
6 T + 4 T butter, divided
1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 C whole milk (or any)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 C toasted, finely chopped walnuts
coarse salt

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 9 x 13" dish and line with parchment, leaving a 2-in. overhang on the long sides. Spray parchment.

Pulse wafers in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl. Add sugar and a pinch of table salt. Melt and stir in 6 T butter. Press into bottom of dish. Bake for 10 minutes.

Heat chocolate, condensed milk, milk, 4 T butter, and a pinch of table salt in double boiler over simmering water, stirring, until melted. Stir in vanilla.

Pour chocolate mixture over baked cookie layer, smoothing top. Sprinkle walnuts and coarse salt over the top, pressing slightly to adhere. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Remove from dish using parchment to lift, and transfer to a cutting board; remove parchment. Cut crosswise into 6 2-in.-wide stripes. Cut each strip crosswise into 3 equal bars, then cut each bar in half on the diagonal to make 36 triangles. Refrigerate bars to store.