Post by Loupy on Mar 12, 2016 14:41:12 GMT -7
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
From: Deb Perelman @ smittenkitchen.com/
Adapted from Tasting Table
I’ve always been charmed by the idea of peanut butter pies but found them (forgive me, I know how unworthy this makes me) a little goopy and over-the-top in their standard form, to say nothing of the Cool Whip most muddle perfection with. This one, however, is delightfully to the point with equal billing given to a buttery shortbread crumb base, a compact layer of creamy peanut butter (with the essential tangy oomph so many peanut butter desserts miss when they don’t include cream cheese and salt) and a thick shiny layer of dark chocolate ganache with a dusting of sea salt, and it requires all of 10 minutes baking time. Sure, Pi(e) Day could be celebrated with flaky crusts, seasonal fruit and zero PIPIEGI (Processed Ingredients Processed Into Even Greater Ingredients) but really, where’s the fun in that?
Ingredients:
Crust
2 5.3-ounce (150 gram) shortbread cookie packages (to yield 1 3/4 to 2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (see note about butter amount)
Filling
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons (1 ounce or 30 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (40 grams) powdered or confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup (130 grams) creamy peanut butter (I use Skippy but think a more natural one would work just fine here)
1/4 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
1 cup (about 6 ounces or 170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Flaky sea salt, to finish (optional)
Instructions:
Make the crust:
Heat oven to 350°F (176#176;C).
Place a 9-inch round tart pan (ideally with a removable bottom) on a rimmed baking sheet.
Finely grind cookies with sugar and salt in a food processor.
Add melted butter and process until clumpy.
(See note about needing more with other types of cookies.)
Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom and up sides of pan.
Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
If any parts of the crumb walls have fallen or slumped, you can press them gently back into place with a spoon.
Let cool completely.
I have no patience for long cooling processes and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Make the filling:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar, peanut butter, salt and vanilla together until fluffy with an electric mixer or with good elbow grease, a big whisk.
Scrape the mixture into the tart shell and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Chill this while you prepare the topping — again, I just slide it into the freezer for 10 minutes.
A cold surface helps the chocolate set faster.
Make the topping:
Heat chocolate, pinch of salt and cream together in a microwave or saucepan until the chips are mostly melted.
Stir until smooth.
Let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly then pour over peanut butter filling and gently spread smooth.
Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.
Chill the tart until firm.
As you can guess, I do this in the freezer for 15 minutes or so because I like to have my treats as soon as possible.
An hour in the fridge would also do the trick.
Serve in wedges.
Don’t forget to share.
Notes:
I swapped the suggested graham crust for a shortbread one closer to the original cookie (but let’s be honest, so much better because: butter). One of the pesky things about crumb crusts is that I find that depending on the crumbs used and how finely ground they are, you might need more or less butter. Here, using shortbread loaded with butter, I only needed 3T melted butter to get the crumbs clumpy enough to form a crust. With the same amount of graham crumbs, I usually need 4T.
I like to parbake crumb crusts because I think they set much better this way. The sugar helps “glue” the crust together too, but I still use as little as possible.
I found that the recipe better filled out a 9-inch/1-inch tall tart pan than a standard pie dish. Should you not have a tart pan, you could still make this in a standard (not deep-dish) pie dish, but it might help to only press the 2/3 the way up the sides. Or, if you’d really like to fill out a standard pie pan, you could double the filling and chocolate This should also work in a 8-inch square baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends; this sling will hopefully make the bars easier to remove.
From: Deb Perelman @ smittenkitchen.com/
Adapted from Tasting Table
I’ve always been charmed by the idea of peanut butter pies but found them (forgive me, I know how unworthy this makes me) a little goopy and over-the-top in their standard form, to say nothing of the Cool Whip most muddle perfection with. This one, however, is delightfully to the point with equal billing given to a buttery shortbread crumb base, a compact layer of creamy peanut butter (with the essential tangy oomph so many peanut butter desserts miss when they don’t include cream cheese and salt) and a thick shiny layer of dark chocolate ganache with a dusting of sea salt, and it requires all of 10 minutes baking time. Sure, Pi(e) Day could be celebrated with flaky crusts, seasonal fruit and zero PIPIEGI (Processed Ingredients Processed Into Even Greater Ingredients) but really, where’s the fun in that?
Ingredients:
Crust
2 5.3-ounce (150 gram) shortbread cookie packages (to yield 1 3/4 to 2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (see note about butter amount)
Filling
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons (1 ounce or 30 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (40 grams) powdered or confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup (130 grams) creamy peanut butter (I use Skippy but think a more natural one would work just fine here)
1/4 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
1 cup (about 6 ounces or 170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Flaky sea salt, to finish (optional)
Instructions:
Make the crust:
Heat oven to 350°F (176#176;C).
Place a 9-inch round tart pan (ideally with a removable bottom) on a rimmed baking sheet.
Finely grind cookies with sugar and salt in a food processor.
Add melted butter and process until clumpy.
(See note about needing more with other types of cookies.)
Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom and up sides of pan.
Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
If any parts of the crumb walls have fallen or slumped, you can press them gently back into place with a spoon.
Let cool completely.
I have no patience for long cooling processes and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Make the filling:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar, peanut butter, salt and vanilla together until fluffy with an electric mixer or with good elbow grease, a big whisk.
Scrape the mixture into the tart shell and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Chill this while you prepare the topping — again, I just slide it into the freezer for 10 minutes.
A cold surface helps the chocolate set faster.
Make the topping:
Heat chocolate, pinch of salt and cream together in a microwave or saucepan until the chips are mostly melted.
Stir until smooth.
Let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly then pour over peanut butter filling and gently spread smooth.
Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.
Chill the tart until firm.
As you can guess, I do this in the freezer for 15 minutes or so because I like to have my treats as soon as possible.
An hour in the fridge would also do the trick.
Serve in wedges.
Don’t forget to share.
Notes:
I swapped the suggested graham crust for a shortbread one closer to the original cookie (but let’s be honest, so much better because: butter). One of the pesky things about crumb crusts is that I find that depending on the crumbs used and how finely ground they are, you might need more or less butter. Here, using shortbread loaded with butter, I only needed 3T melted butter to get the crumbs clumpy enough to form a crust. With the same amount of graham crumbs, I usually need 4T.
I like to parbake crumb crusts because I think they set much better this way. The sugar helps “glue” the crust together too, but I still use as little as possible.
I found that the recipe better filled out a 9-inch/1-inch tall tart pan than a standard pie dish. Should you not have a tart pan, you could still make this in a standard (not deep-dish) pie dish, but it might help to only press the 2/3 the way up the sides. Or, if you’d really like to fill out a standard pie pan, you could double the filling and chocolate This should also work in a 8-inch square baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends; this sling will hopefully make the bars easier to remove.
