Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

Desserts

We’ve started a fun tradition in lab this year where I try to bake something for each person’s birthday. You know I love having the excuse to try new dessert recipes! My only request when I started was that each person make a list of their favorite treats so that I have a bit of guidance and they get something they really enjoy. Allison’s birthday was this week and she asked for a chocolate peanut butter combo, which is one of my absolute favorites too. So, I spent a bit of time trying to dream up the ultimate peanut butter and chocolate dessert this week.

I settled on making a peanut butter cookie crust (which I over baked a bit, so be careful with it!) and then filled the tart with chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and a creamy peanut butter faux mousse. Then I topped the tart with a chocolate ganache and more Reese’s cups. Mmm, totally indulgent and perfect for a bday celebration! I’m already looking forward to seeing what the next person requests!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Cookie Crust:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 (3.4-oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups whipped topping, thawed

Ganache Layer:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cups semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For Assembly:
2 cups mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, cut into fourths (10 ounces)

Directions:
To make the peanut butter cookie crust, heat oven to 350˚F. Mix butter and sugar until creamed in a large bowl. Mix in egg and peanut butter until smooth; stir in flour and salt. Grease a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; press cookie dough evenly over bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake at 350˚F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. With back of spoon, press down crust so bottom and sides are evenly covered; bake 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until deep golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Press down crust again with spoon, if needed. Completely cool the crust, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the peanut butter filling. In a medium bowl, mix instant pudding with milk and condensed milk until smooth. Stir in peanut butter and then fold in whipped topping.

Prepare the ganache. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream, uncovered, on high for 1 minute. Stir well and microwave another 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, microwaving another 15-30 seconds if needed.

To assemble the tart, evenly sprinkle half the chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups in the bottom of the cooled peanut butter cookie crust. Fill tart with peanut butter filling and spread ganache evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with remaining chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and refrigerate until the ganache is set, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 wedges.

Nutrition: 539 calories, 35.4g fat, 3.4g fiber, 13.7g protein per serving
Cost: $0.90 per serving

Strawberry Cheesecake Filled Yellow Cake

Have you had any baking disasters? I’ve had my fair share, and naturally, they all tend to occur when I’m making a treat to share at a party. One time the pecan crust just fell off the sides of a cheesecake I had made for a lab birthday celebration. Another time a...

Peanut Butter Chubby Hubby Bars

Have you ever thought you didn’t like an ingredient and then suddenly realized that you’d actually been enjoying it for years? This recently happened to me. I never liked Whoppers growing up and remember being thoroughly confused about why someone would prefer a...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Pie

I can’t believe almost a week has gone by since my last post! I just got back from an extended weekend trip to NYC with my mom and we were enjoying the city so much that I didn’t quite get around to posting this recipe while we were there. We’ve been meaning to take...

Berry Tart

My favorite part of the 4th of July growing up was always trying to spell out my name with a sparkler before it burnt out. I've always loved a good challenge, so it never got old! Now it’s all about the food, and this year I dreamed up a festive berry tart that would...

Green Monster Cookies

My parents flew in from Des Moines this weekend to visit us for Mother’s Day! We visited the aquarium and the longest continuous running restaurant in the US, the Union Oyster House, and also watched a Red Sox game and toured the Sam Adams Brewery (which my hubby...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Turtle Cheesecake

I’ve been having a lot of fun in the kitchen lately.  First of all, I’m reviewing a product from CSN Stores, a fabulous Boston-based company with over 200 online shops.  They have everything you need for your house, from a vanity to a grill, so...

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

I think Boston is a bit of a cold city. It’s not something I notice anymore on a daily basis, but when I’m visiting more friendly regions, I’m often struck by the joggers who nod and give you a smile as you run past and the eager store employees who go out of their...

Pumpkin Puff Pastry Tarts

The countdown to our flight to Arizona has begun and we’re playing our favorite game of trying to finish up all the perishables in our fridge before we go. We got a little off track when Apolinaras brought a half gallon of milk home on Sunday and thawed six pork...