Chocolate Dirt Cups with Cookie Crunch

Makes 4 cups · about 1 cup per serving

Steps

1. Step 1

   Make the cookie crunch: Pulse chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor until you have a mix of fine crumbs and pea-sized shards, about 10 quick pulses. Drizzle in melted unsalted butter and pulse 2–3 times just to combine; the mixture should hold together when squeezed but still look crumbly. Spread on a plate and set aside. (If you don't have a processor, crush the cookies in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin.)

   • 20 cookieschocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
   • 2 tbspunsalted butter

2. Step 2

   Start the pudding: In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, cornstarch, and fine salt until no lumps remain. Whisk in whole milk and heavy cream until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and just begins to bubble lazily, 5–7 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.

   • ½ cupgranulated sugar
   • ⅓ cupunsweetened cocoa powder
   • 3 tbspcornstarch
   • ¼ tspfine salt
   • 1 ½ cupswhole milk
   • 1 cupheavy cream

3. Step 3

   Temper the yolks: In a small bowl, whisk large egg yolks. Slowly ladle the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to warm them. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding is very thick and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer, 2–3 minutes. Do not let it boil or the eggs will scramble.

   • 3 largeegg yolks
   • ½ cupwhole milk

4. Step 4

   Finish the pudding: Off heat, add chopped semi-sweet chocolate and vanilla extract. Whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and the pudding is glossy and smooth. Pour into a shallow bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

   • 4 ozsemi-sweet chocolate, chopped
   • 1 tspvanilla extract

5. Step 5

   Whip the cream: In a chilled bowl, combine cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip with a hand mixer or whisk until soft peaks form, 2–3 minutes. The cream should hold a gentle curl on the whisk; stop before it turns stiff or it will feel heavy. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

   • 1 cupheavy cream, cold
   • 2 tbsppowdered sugar
   • ½ tspvanilla extract

6. Step 6

   Assemble the cups: Spoon the cookie crunch into the bottom of each of 4 glasses (8-oz. size). Top with a layer of chocolate pudding, then a layer of whipped cream, repeating until the glasses are filled, ending with whipped cream. You should have about ½ cup of cookie crunch left for the top.

   • 2 tbspchocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
   • 4 ozsemi-sweet chocolate, chopped
   • 1 cupheavy cream

7. Step 7

   Finish and serve: Just before serving, sprinkle the remaining cookie crunch over the whipped cream and tuck gummy worms into each cup so they look like they're crawling out of the dirt. Serve immediately so the cookies stay crunchy. If making ahead, layer the pudding and cream up to 1 day in advance, but add the cookie topping and gummy worms right before serving.

   • 20 cookieschocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
   • 1 cupheavy cream
   • 3 wormsgummy worms